ADMINISTRATION OF CLADRIBINE IN HAIRY CELL LEUKEMIA AT INITIAL PRESENTATION AND AT RELAPSE: REPORT OF TWO CASES

Hairy cell leukemia (hcl) is a rare chronic lymphoproliferative disease, which is treatable with the nucleoside analogue, cladribine (2-chlorodeoxyadenosine) both at initial presentation and at relapse. presented herein are two cases of hcl, with cr on cladribine and relapsing on 6th and 14th years of initial diagnosis. the first patient achieved a second cr 3 months after the reinfusion of cladribine with disapperance of reticulin fibers and absence of hairy cells on bone marrow biopsy. the second patient succumbed to neutropenic fever, candida pneumonia and septic shock at the 23rd day of cladribine infusion.