Infections of hairy cell leukemia. Clinical evidence of a pronounced defect in cell-mediated immunity.

We compared infection rates in 12 patients with hairy cell leukemia (a malignant neoplasm for which the cell of origin remains controversial) with rates in 15 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (a known B-lymphocyte neoplasm) recently treated at four Dallas hospitals. We found a significantly higher over-all rate of infections in the patients with hairy cell leukemia (P = 0.004 BY Gehan's variation on the generalized Wilcoxon test).

Granulomatous synovitis: the role of atypical mycobacteria.

Clinical data on 25 patients with granulomatous synovitis and bursitis observed from 1970 through 1977 are reviewed. The lesions occurred about the extremities, the wrists and hands being involved most often. With three exceptions, the patients had no significant underlying disease.

Enterococcal endocarditis: duration and mode of treatment.

This report summarizes data on sixteen patients with enterococcal endocarditis treated with penicillin and streptomycin. The experience reported suggests that a four week period is adequate for routine therapy in these patients, as in other forms of streptococcal endocarditis. It provides an additional group of patients successfully treated with penicillin and streptomycin.

Histoplasmosis: twenty years experience in a general hospital.

This report summarizes the clinical and laboratory data on 57 patients with histoplasmosis, including 13 with progressive disseminated disease. The experience in general is supportive of that of others in that although infection with Histoplasma capsulatum is prevalent, clinical disease is uncommon and disseminated disease actually rare. The data again emphasize the limitations of diagnostic methods, and in particular point up the need to obtain cultures of biopsy material from mucocutaneous lesions.