title: Successful treatment of hairy cell leukemia variant with rituximab.
abstract: Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) variant is a rare low-grade B-cell disorder affecting the elderly or middle-aged population with features intermediate between those of HCL and prolymphocytic leukemia. Unlike HCL, it is resistant to most conventional treatment. We report a case of a 53-year-old man who had refractory thrombocytopenia and lymphocytosis for 8 years. Investigations and analysis of spleen and bone marrow revealed a diagnosis of HCL variant. He opted for treatment with rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeting CD 20. There was complete recovery of his full blood count and a bone marrow biopsy performed 3 months post-treatment showed complete remission. This is, to our knowledge, the first reported patient with HCL variant for whom treatment with rituximab was successful, and this treatment needs further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, London, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Narat
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gandla
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehta
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002452:Cell Count; D006801:Humans; D007943:Leukemia, Hairy Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction / Q000379:methods; D000069283:Rituximab; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab