A 62-year-old man was hospitalized with low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) and an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly), showing abnormal lymphocyte characteristics in blood tests.
Laboratory tests indicated a strong likelihood of hairy cell leukemia-Japanese variant (HCL-JV), but after four years of monitoring without treatment, his condition worsened, prompting a splenectomy.
Examination of the spleen revealed a different diagnosis, splenic diffuse red pulp small B-cell lymphoma (SDRPL), leading to questions about the relationship between HCL-JV and SDRPL, but more cases are needed for a solid conclusion.