Hairy cell leukemia variant with t(2;8)(p12;q24) abnormality.

Hairy cell leukemia variant is an uncommon chronic B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder characterized clinically by splenomegaly and marked leukocytosis. Cytologically, the leukemic cells are distinguishable from those of classical hairy cell leukemia by the presence of single, central, and vesicular nucleoli. Cytogenetic information for this uncommon leukemia is scanty, although structural abnormalities involving 7q34 have been reported in few cases. We report a patient with hairy cell leukemia variant who has t(2;8)(p12;q34) but without [corrected] c-MYC oncogene rearrangement.