What patient groups is Hairy cell leukaemia most common?

more common in males (4:1)

What are the main clinical features of Hairy cell leukaemia?

• pancytopenia
• splenomegaly
• skin vasculitis in 1/3 patients
• 'dry tap' despite bone marrow hypercellularity
• tartrate resistant acid phosphotase (TRAP) stain positive

What is the management of Hairy cell leukaemia?

• chemotherapy is first-line: cladribine, pentostatin
• immunotherapy is second-line: rituximab, interferon-alpha

What is the pathophysiology of Hairy cell leukaemia?

malignant proliferation disorder of B cells