Emergency splenectomy in hairy cell leukemia

Abstract

The role of splenectomy in the treatment of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is now well established. There are however some particular situations which indicate splenectomy as a possible emergency therapy in markedly cytopenic cases with severe antibiotic-resistant infections. The aim of the emergency splenectomy in such conditions is to temporarily increase neutrophils and to permit the improvement of the infectious disease. We describe 2 cases of HCL with severe infectious disease, successfully splenectomized.