|
|
| Line 4: |
Line 4: |
|
| |
|
| ==Overview== | | ==Overview== |
| Hairy cell leukemia is commonly diagnosed after a routine blood count shows unexpectedly low numbers for one or more kinds of blood cells, or after unexplained bruises or unexplained infections, such as repeated bouts of pneumonia in an otherwise apparently healthy patient.
| |
|
| |
|
| ==Laboratory Findings==
| |
| * The diagnostic path may have begun with a simple test like a [[complete blood count]], but this is not adequate to diagnose HCL. A CBC normally shows low counts for white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in HCL patients, but if large numbers of hairy cells are in the blood stream, then normal or even [[lymphocytosis|high lymphocyte counts]] may be found.
| |
|
| |
|
| * Platelet function may be somewhat impaired in HCL patients, although this does not appear to have any significant practical effect.<ref name="pmid512041">{{cite journal |author=Zuzel M, Cawley JC, Paton RC, Burns GF, McNicol GP |title=Platelet function in hairy-cell leukaemia |journal=J. Clin. Pathol. |volume=32 |issue=8 |pages=814-21 |year=1979 |pmid=512041 |doi=}}</ref> It may result in somewhat more mild bruises than would otherwise be expected for a given platelet count or a mildly increased bleeding time for a minor cut. It is likely the result of producing slightly abnormal platelets in the overstressed bone marrow tissue.
| |
|
| |
|
| * Patients with a high tumor burden may also have somewhat reduced levels of cholesterol,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/50446/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 |title=wiley.com |accessdate=2007-09-07 |format= |work=}}</ref> especially in patients with an enlarged spleen.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/311/6996/27 |title=Mechanisms behind hypocholesterolaemia in hairy cell leukaemia -- Juliusson et al. 311 (6996): 27 -- BMJ |accessdate=2007-09-07 |format= |work=}}</ref> Cholesterol levels return to more normal values with successful treatment of HCL.
| |
|
| |
| <div align="left">
| |
| <gallery heights="175" widths="175">
| |
| Image:Hairy cell leukemia 0001.jpg|Hairy cell leukemia
| |
| Image:Hairy cell leukemia TEM 0001.jpg|Hairy cell leukemia TEM
| |
| Image:Hairy Cell Leukemia.jpg|Hairy Cell Leukemia
| |
| </gallery>
| |
| </div>
| |
|
| |
|
| ==References== | | ==References== |