Newer Purine Analogues for the Treatment of Hairy-Cell Leukemia

Hairy-cell Leukemia, or leukemic reticuloendotheliosis, is an uncommon chronic lymphoproliferative disorder first described by Bouroncle et al. in 19581. Its defining features are mononuclear cells with prominent cytoplasmic projections (Figure 1) that retain acid phosphatase stain when treated with tartrate, and a typical pattern of cellular infiltration in the bone marrow and spleen1,2. In the marrow the hairy cells contain abundant pale cytoplasm, giving rise to a “fried egg” appearance, and in the spleen the disruption of normal sinus architecture results in the formation of blood-filled spaces. Immunophenotypic analysis of the circulating hairy cells reveals them to . . .