Splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes

Splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes (SLVL) is a rare disorder that comprises less than 1% of lymphoid neoplasms. It is the leukemic counterpart of splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) and is characterized by splenomegaly, often with no lymphadenopathy, moderate lymphocytosis and villous lymphocytes on peripheral blood smear. Here, we report a case of SLVL in a 56-year-old male with very high leukocyte counts, massive splenomegaly and relatively few leukemic cells with subtle villous projections on the surface. This disorder is often confused with other chronic lymphoproliferative disorders, especially chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and hairy cell leukemia and should be differentiated from them. We are reporting this case to highlight the diagnostic pitfalls associated with this disorder.