Case Report
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 21, 2009; 15(35): 4453-4456
Published online Sep 21, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.4453
Hairy cell leukemia presenting as multiple discrete hepatic lesions
Nadav Sahar, Ginette Schiby, Tima Davidson, Abraham Kneller, Sara Apter, Zvi Farfel
Nadav Sahar, Zvi Farfel, Department of Medicine E, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Ginette Schiby, Department of Pathology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Tima Davidson, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Abraham Kneller, Department of Hematology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Sara Apter, Departments of Diagnostic Radiology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Author contributions: Sahar N, Kneller A and Farfel Z were the patient’s physicians; Schiby G evaluated and wrote the pathological report; Davidson T interpreted and wrote the PET-CT report; Apter S evaluated and wrote the CT findings; Sahar N and Farfel Z wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Zvi Farfel, MD, Department of Medicine E, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel. farfel@post.tau.ac.il
Telephone: +972-3-5302437 Fax: +972-3-5302460
Received: July 24, 2009
Revised: August 12, 2009
Accepted: August 19, 2009
Published online: September 21, 2009
Abstract

The involvement of hairy cell leukemia in the liver is in the form of portal and sinusoidal cellular infiltration. Here we describe the first case of hepatic hairy cell leukemia presenting as multiple discrete lesions, which was treated successfully. We suggest that in the investigation of discrete hepatic lesions in cases of cancer of unknown primary, hairy cell leukemia should be considered. The excellent response of hairy cell leukemia to therapy highlights the need for such a consideration.

Keywords: Cancer of unknown primary; Hairy cell leukemia; Hepatic lesions