Symptoms and Signs of Hairy Cell Leukemia

Symptoms and Signs of Hairy Cell Leukemia

Symptoms of hairy cell leukemia occur due to overproduction of abnormal hairy cells, which results in deficiency of normal blood cells, causing enlarged spleen and impaired immunity.

Symptoms of hairy cell leukemia are often non-specific and may even resemble those of viral infections. Commonly, affected individuals seek medical attention due to frequent illness with symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, fever, weight loss, recurrent infections and bleeding. Many cases are asymptomatic and are detected during routine lab tests.

Hairy cell leukemia causes a decrease in all the types of blood cells, the normal white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. This is responsible for most of the symptoms experienced by the patient.

Symptoms and signs of hairy cell leukemia include:

• Weakness and fatigue due to anemia
• Easy bruising and bleeding due to thrombocytopenia

• Fever, night sweats and weight loss similar to other blood cancers
• Abdominal discomfort due to enlarged spleen
• Recurrent infections due to a decrease in normal white blood cells. Lymph nodes are usually not affected. Common organisms responsible for infections include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, Legionella, Mycobacterium and fungi
• Other associated conditions include immunologic disorders like scleroderma, polymyositis and polyarteritis nodosa

References:

1. Wiernick PH et al. Neoplastic Diseases of the blood. Fifth Edition
2. Polliak A. Hairy Cell Leukemia: Biology, Clinical Diagnosis, Unusual Manifestations and Associated Disorders. Rev Clin Exp Hematol 2002; 6.4: 366-88.

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