| Hairy cell leukemia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Specialty | Hematology and oncology |
Hairy cell leukemia is an uncommon hematological malignancy characterized by an accumulation of abnormal B lymphocytes.[1] It is usually classified as a subtype of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Hairy cell leukemia makes up about 2% of all leukemias, with fewer than 2,000 new cases diagnosed annually in North America and Western Europe combined.
Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) was originally described as histiocytic leukemia, malignant reticulosis, or lymphoid myelofibrosis in publications dating back to the 1920s. The disease was formally named leukemic reticuloendotheliosis, and its characterization was significantly advanced by Bertha Bouroncle and colleagues at the Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1958. Its common name, which was coined in 1966,[2] is derived from the "hairy" appearance of the malignant B cells under a microscope.[3]
- ^ "Hairy cell leukemia: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia". medlineplus.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
- ^ Schrek R, Donnelly WJ (February 1966). ""Hairy" cells in blood in lymphoreticular neoplastic disease and "flagellated" cells of normal lymph nodes". Blood. 27 (2): 199–211. doi:10.1182/blood.V27.2.199.199. PMID 5322749.
- ^ "Hairy cell leukemia | Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD) – an NCATS Program". rarediseases.info.nih.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-11-15. Retrieved 2018-04-17.