hairy cell

English

Etymology

Coined in 1966.

Noun

hairy cell (plural hairy cells)

1. A kind of malignant B cell in an uncommon form of leukemia of unknown cause, having a "hairy" appearance under the microscope.
   • 1966 February, Robert Schrek, ““Hairy” Cells in Blood in Lymphoreticular Neoplastic Disease and “Flagellated” Cells of Normal Lymph Nodes”, in Blood, volume 27, number 2, page 199:

     Studies of the viable blood cells with phase contrast microscopy showed peculiar cells that had numerous short villi and were arbitrarily called “hairy cells.”