Hairy cell leukemia

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Auer rods	Bone marrow aspiration	Enlarged spleen	Formed elements of blood
Hairy cell leukemia - microscopic view

Hairy cell leukemia is a cancer of lymphocytes (B cells) that leads to low blood counts.

Leukemic reticuloendotheliosis; HCL; Leukemia - hairy cell

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is an uncommon cancer of the blood. It can be one of the causes of low numbers of normal blood cells. The disease is caused by the abnormal growth of B cells that can look "hairy" under the microscope because they have fine projections coming from their surface.

The cause of this disease is unknown. It affects men 5 times more often than women, and the average age of onset is 55. Hairy cell leukemia is rare and only accounts for about 2% of the leukemias diagnosed each year.

Review Date: 07/29/2005
Reviewed By: William Matsui, M.D., Assistant Professor of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.