Hairy Cell Leukemia (HCL) Presenting with Joint Swelling: Case Report and Literature Review of a Rare Rheumatological Manifestation of a Hematological Disease

Abstract

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare malignancy that primarily affects the bone marrow, peripheral blood, and spleen. The most common presenting features of HCL are splenomegaly or cytopenias causing fatigue, infections, or hemorrhagic manifestations. Symptoms involving the soft tissue or bone are rare. HCL can rarely present with immune-mediated polyarthritis. This presentation can be confused for other pathological entities, such as Felty's syndrome, and can be differentiated from this with bone marrow biopsy. This case report looks into a rare presentation of HCL in which transient polyarthritis of the knees was the presenting symptom.