Ocular manifestation of hairy cell leukemia with dramatic response to 2-chloro-deoxy-adenosine

Abstract

Purpose: To demonstrate that hairy cell leukemia may involve the eye.

Methods: We examined a patient who had a unique ocular manifestation of hairy cell leukemia with severe panuveitis in one eye and leukemic retinopathy in the fellow eye.

Results: Therapy with 2-chloro-deoxy-adenosine, a drug recently introduced for treatment of hairy cell leukemia, led to dramatic improvement of the ocular complications.

Conclusions: Hairy cell leukemia may involve the eye and ocular symptoms may respond to systemic treatment with 2-chloro-deoxy-adenosine.