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Hairy cell leukemia

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Bone marrow aspiration

Bone marrow aspiration

Auer rods

Hairy cell leukemia - microscopic view

Hairy cell leukemia - microscopic view

Formed elements of blood

Formed elements of blood

Enlarged spleen

Enlarged spleen

Hairy cell leukemia

Alternative Names:

Leukemic reticuloendotheliosis; HCL; Leukemia - hairy cell
Symptoms:

Weakness
Fatigue
Weight loss
Easy brusing or bleeding
Recurrent infections and fevers
Excessive sweating (especially at night)
Swollen lymph glands
Early satiety (feeling full after eating only a small amount)

Signs and tests:

A physical examination can reveal an enlarged spleen or liver
A bone marrow biopsy shows hairy cells
A peripheral blood smear may show hairy cells
A special test done on blood or bone marrow cells (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase) can confirm the diagnosis
An abdominal CT scan shows an enlarged spleen and liver
A CBC shows low white blood cell count, low red cell count, and low platelets

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