Efficacy of rituximab in hairy cell leukemia; [Efficacité du rituximab dans la leucémie à tricholeucocytes]

Introduction > Rituximab is an alternative treatment for hairy cell leukemia, when the standard treatments are unavailable. Case > An 82-year-old woman was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia. The severity of her neutropenia ruled out purine analogs, while heart disease and age both contraindicated use of interferon. Rituximab, in four weekly treatments, was effective from the first treatment and the positive response was sustained thereafter. Discussion > Rituximab may be used to treat hairy cell leukemia, especially for patients refractory to purine analogs or after relapse or in the case of severe neutropenia, when interferon is contraindicated. © 2006, Masson.