Splenic marginal-zone lymphoma with villous lymphocytes. Villous lymphocytes circulating in the peripheral blood are a characteristic finding in this disorder. These cells have an oval nucleus with the “cobblestone” pattern of nuclear chromatin typical of more mature lymphoid cells. The cytoplasmic projections, or villi, are found in a polar distribution. Villous lymphocytes may be mistaken for hairy cells. However, the cytoplasmic projections in hairy cells have a more even distribution around the circumference of the cell.
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