Hodgkin’s Disease

Abstract

Hodgkin’s disease is a “specific general disease of a malignant character in which any organ or tissue of the body may be affected.” (Osier) While the disease begins characteristically with enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes, other nodes may be affected first, or the primary lesion may be an infiltrating one elsewhere. Various specific organisms have been recovered from involved tissue. The consensus of opinion is that these are secondary invaders. The disease is most likely neoplastic in origin. Tuberculosis is often associated with Hodgkin’s disease, but has no causal relationship with it. The disease, unlike lymphosarcoma and leukemia, with which it is often confused and even grouped by some pathologists, has never been identified in lower animals.

The clinical picture of Hodgkin’s disease is extremely variable. The most characteristic course is primarily a slow and progressive, painless enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes often beginning on one side of the neck only. The nodes are discrete and firm. Later other nodes are usually involved, and still later fever, anemia, and cachexia set in causing the death of the patient. All variations of this picture may be observed. Fever and anemia may be the first and only presenting symptoms, especially when the lesion is primarily infiltrative. It is common to find only the peribronchial glands involved, often with infiltration of the lungs. Since any part of the body may be affected, the possibility of Hodgkin’s disease must be considered in many confused clinical states, especially with cryptic fever and anemia.