[Transient hypophosphatemia associated with hairy-cell leukemia].

A 43-year-old man with hairy-cell leukemia and marked splenomegaly developed severe hypophosphatemia which improved after splenectomy. Since splenic tissue phosphorus was significantly elevated, and since serum phosphorus returned to normal levels immediately after the operation, it is postulated that excessive uptake of phosphorus by the rapidly dividing leukemic cells might have caused the transient decrease in serum phosphorus.