This is a group of leukemias rarely seen in adults. They either do not belong to the usual classification of acute and chronic leukemias or are unusual variations of the forms already described.
Hairy Cell Leukemia
This is a moderately rare leukemia that is more like a chronic than an acute leukemia.
The diagnosis is usually made by reviewing the bone marrow and blood smear and finding a specific lymphoid cell, a cell that uniquely describes this leukemia. Some special blood stains and antibodies help confirm the diagnosis made on the marrow. The tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) stain, for example, is diagnostic for hairy cell leukemia.
People who get this leukemia are usually elderly and go to their doctor with symptoms of weakness and/or after finding a lump in their abdomen, which is an enlarged spleen . Blood counts are abnormal. Usually the white count is low and in some cases the counts of red cells and platelets are also low.
This disease is rarely cured and about 10 percent of patients may not need treatment for years. Patients may have prolonged survival with treatment.
Standard Treatment Before 1985, the recommended standard treatment was quite limited. The surgical removal of the spleen relieved symptoms and improved the blood counts in over 60 percent of the patients. But about half of those who did show improvement from the splenectomy would again get the same symptoms. The best long-term response to a splenectomy is found in patients with a very enlarged spleen.
