Hematology problem.

Abstract

A hairy cell is a distinctive neoplastic cellular element with unique morphological and functional properties and is cytochemically identified by the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase reaction. The identification of the hairy cell is essential for the diagnosis but a proper clinical presentation is also necessary. A careful scrutiny of a blood smear for the presence of hairy cells in, for example, a middle-aged male patient with pancytopenia and splenomegaly, is probably the most important step in diagnosis.