Treatment of initial hairy cell leukemia with rituximab in an elderly patient

Objective To observe the safety and efficiency of rituximab in an elderly patient with initial hairy cell leukemia.Methods A 93-year-old patient with initial hairy cell leukemia was treated with rituximab（600mg）,once a week for 4 weeks.The white blood cells（WBC） and platelets（PLT） were tested during the treatment.Results The number of lymphocytes,WBC and PLT of the patient became normal after treatment with rituximab.Conclusion Rituximab is safe and efficient for elderly patients with initial hairy cell leukemia.