Hodgkin’s disease as a systemic ailment can affect multiple organ systems at the same time at any stage of the disease. The following system-wise symptomatology of Hodgkin’s disease is commonly seen in patients:

• General Appearance: Patients may note anorexia, weight loss, fever and night sweats due to the systemic afflictions of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Cachexia may occur in chronic cases due to muscle wasting.
• Integumentary: Diffuse pruritus may appear because of lymph stasis.
• Head and Neck: Most patient may present with painless cervical lymphadenopathy.
• Chest and Heart: Mediastinal lymph nodes may present as chest pain and dyspnea.
• Abdomen: Abdominal enlargement may be noted with splenomegaly or hepatomegaly.
• Extremities: Regional and disseminated lymphadenopathy may occur in the limbs due to lymph node involvement of the disease. Compression fractures may surface with the lytic lesions in the bone marrow. Backaches may occur at night due to bone marrow compression signs of abnormal B-cell proliferations.

• Splenomegaly

  The presenting feature common in all cases was superficial lymphadenopathy followed by hepatomegaly in 17 (20%) cases and splenomegaly in 16 (19%). All the marrow aspirates were negative for infiltration. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Abdomen: Abdominal enlargement may be noted with splenomegaly or hepatomegaly. Extremities: Regional and disseminated lymphadenopathy may occur in the limbs due to lymph node involvement of the disease. [symptoma.com]

  Hodgkin's lymphoma symptoms include night sweats, enlarged lymph nodes, splenomegaly, and back pain. Treatment entails radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Hodgkin's lymphoma prognosis is generally good, provided that the disease is detected early. [medscape.org]

• Cervical Lymphadenopathy

  A 41-year-old man developed right cervical lymphadenopathy following renal transplantation 116 months previously for chronic renal failure of unknown origin. He had been taking cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Head and Neck: Most patient may present with painless cervical lymphadenopathy. Chest and Heart: Mediastinal lymph nodes may present as chest pain and dyspnea. Abdomen: Abdominal enlargement may be noted with splenomegaly or hepatomegaly. [symptoma.com]

  Results: Over a 4-year period, two children aged 5 and 6 years were admitted for suspected ITP, both had cervical lymphadenopathy. Bone marrow examination showed no evidence of tumor or fibrosis. [ima.org.il]

• Axillary Lymphadenopathy

  In addition, the lesion was neither palpable nor painful, and there were no associated overlying skin findings nor axillary lymphadenopathy. [hindawi.com]

• Generalized Lymphadenopathy

  It is more often diagnosed in older males, who usually present with generalized lymphadenopathy or extranodal disease and with associated systemic symptoms. [cancernetwork.com]

• Fever

  Night sweats Intermittent fever in about 35% of cases Infrequently, Pel-Ebstein fever (high fever for 1-2 wk followed by an afebrile period of 1-2 wk) A large mediastinal mass may produce chest pain, cough or shortness of breath Pruritus Nodal pain, [learningradiology.com]

  A 30-year-old lady presented with fever, dry cough and weight loss for the preceding five months. Radiological investigations revealed a solitary nodular lesion in the lingula of the left lung. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Weight Loss

  A 30-year-old lady presented with fever, dry cough and weight loss for the preceding five months. Radiological investigations revealed a solitary nodular lesion in the lingula of the left lung. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Asymptomatic (A) - No fever, night sweats, or weight loss. Symptomatic (B) - Symptoms include fever, night sweats, or weight loss. Diagnosis The definitive way to diagnose Hodgkin's disease is via biopsy of the suspected lymph node. [news-medical.net]

  […] moderate to severe weight loss, and most others have some weight loss.[53] Greater weight loss is associated with poorer prognosis.[53] Theories about contributing factors include appetite loss related to reduced activity, additional energy required [en.wikipedia.org]

• Pain

  We reported a 14-year-old boy initially evaluated with pain localized at the left ilium. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Of the studies included, 12 examined neuropathic pain and 3 examined cancer pain specifically. Abrams found that, in general, cannabis compounds worked better than placebo to manage pain. [herb.co]

  cough or shortness of breath Pruritus Nodal pain, especially if preceded by drinking alcohol may occur in less than 10% of patients but is characteristic of Hodgkin lymphoma Rarely, hemoptysis Rarely, back or bone pain Imaging Findings Parenchymal lung [learningradiology.com]

• Fatigue

  On the symptom scales, higher mean scores, exceeding 10 points, were obtained for the scales "Fatigue" and "Sleep". [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Signs and symptoms include painless, swollen lymph nodes, an enlarged spleen, fever, weight loss, fatigue, and night sweats. Also called Hodgkin disease. [cancer.gov]

• Lymphadenopathy

  Location of Lymphadenopathy More than 80% of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma present with lymphadenopathy above the diaphragm, often involving the anterior mediastinum; the spleen may be involved in about 30% of patients. [cancernetwork.com]

  Although all the radiological examinations suggested an osseous anomaly, histopathologic evaluation of the pelvic lymphadenopathies provided definite diagnosis of the disease. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Dyspnea

  We report the case of a 16 years old female who presented with 6 months history of dry cough, hemoptysis, dyspnea, dysphagia and dysphonia. The chest radiography showed a mediastinal and pulmonary opacity. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Chest and Heart: Mediastinal lymph nodes may present as chest pain and dyspnea. Abdomen: Abdominal enlargement may be noted with splenomegaly or hepatomegaly. [symptoma.com]

  The symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma include: Painless swelling of lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, groin or chest Dyspnea – difficulty breathing due to enlarged lymph nodes in the chest Cough Persistent fever Night sweats Fatigue Weight loss Pruritus [danafarberbostonchildrens.org]

• Dry Cough

  A 30-year-old lady presented with fever, dry cough and weight loss for the preceding five months. Radiological investigations revealed a solitary nodular lesion in the lingula of the left lung. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  cough 10 × 10 × 4 562 — Negative Excision DLBCL Complete resection + chemotherapy 171 Alive NED Patient 2 27/M Palpable mass 11 × 8 × 4 148 — Negative Excision DLBCL Complete resection + chemotherapy 101 Alive NED Patient 3 62/M Palpable mass 9 × 8 × [annalsthoracicsurgery.org]

• Hemoptysis

  We report the case of a 16 years old female who presented with 6 months history of dry cough, hemoptysis, dyspnea, dysphagia and dysphonia. The chest radiography showed a mediastinal and pulmonary opacity. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  […] period of 1-2 wk) A large mediastinal mass may produce chest pain, cough or shortness of breath Pruritus Nodal pain, especially if preceded by drinking alcohol may occur in less than 10% of patients but is characteristic of Hodgkin lymphoma Rarely, hemoptysis [learningradiology.com]

  […] the classic Pel-Ebstein fever is observed (high fever for 1-2 wk, followed by an afebrile period of 1-2 wk) Chest pain, cough, shortness of breath, or a combination of those may be present due to a large mediastinal mass or lung involvement; rarely, hemoptysis [emedicine.medscape.com]

• Mediastinal Disease

  Abstract Hodgkin's disease (HD) is a malignant lymphoma with frequent mediastinal involvement, characterized by a significant inflammatory infiltration. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  GHSG definition is based on the following criteria: No more than 2 sites of disease No extranodal extension No bulky mediastinal disease ESR < 50 mm/h (or < 30 mm/h if B symptoms present) Chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s disease Patients deemed to be in early-stage [lecturio.com]

• Pleural Effusion

  effusion from lymphatic obstruction About 1/3 have pleural effusions Effusion usually does not contain malignant cells Pneumonic form Diffuse nonsegmental infiltrate (pneumonic type) Massive lobar infiltrates (30%) Homogeneous confluent infiltrates with [learningradiology.com]

  Pericardial and pleural effusions developed in one patient after cycles 4 and 5 of GV, consistent with gemcitabine-induced radiation recall. There were no toxic deaths. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Loss of Appetite

  Symptoms include Painless swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin Fever and chills Night sweats Weight loss Loss of appetite Itchy skin To diagnose Hodgkin disease, doctors use a physical exam and history, blood tests, and a biopsy. [medlineplus.gov]

• Nausea

  Apart from pain, nausea, vomiting, and lack of appetite can be debilitating side effects of chemotherapy. Nausea and vomiting are two major reasons patients turn to medical cannabis. [herb.co]

  Commonly reported physical consequences of HD include fatigue, anticipatory nausea and vomiting, and cognitive problems that lasted several years after treatment completion, as well as long-term life-threatening adverse effects including secondary cancers [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  These medicines are extremely effective in killing off the cancer cells, but they do have side effects, including nausea, vomiting, hair loss, tiredness, and lowering of the blood counts. [kidshealth.org]

• Hiccup

  We describe the case of a 59-year-old Caucasian male who presented to the outpatient clinic with intractable hiccups, upper abdominal pain, repeated bouts of vomiting, and stiff neck. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Dysphagia

  We report the case of a 16 years old female who presented with 6 months history of dry cough, hemoptysis, dyspnea, dysphagia and dysphonia. The chest radiography showed a mediastinal and pulmonary opacity. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Chest Pain

  And, if your chest pain lingers beyond 20 minutes, it’s also wise to seek help, including possibly visiting an ER. “Listen to your body, and if something seems off, it probably is,” says Dr. Druz. [health.com]

  pain, cough or shortness of breath Pruritus Nodal pain, especially if preceded by drinking alcohol may occur in less than 10% of patients but is characteristic of Hodgkin lymphoma Rarely, hemoptysis Rarely, back or bone pain Imaging Findings Parenchymal [learningradiology.com]

  Symptoms The symptoms of Hodgkin's disease include the following: Painless swelling of the lymph nodes commonly in the neck, groin, or underarms Painful lymph nodes following alcohol consumption Itchy skin (Pruritis) Persistent tiredness Chest pain and [news-medical.net]

  The Mayo Clinic reported that other symptoms include abdominal pain or swelling, chest pain, fatigue, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. [medicaldaily.com]

  Common symptoms include: Fever Coughing, trouble breathing, or chest pain Soaking night sweats Unexplained weight loss Swollen, painless lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin Weakness and tiredness that doesn’t go away Lymphoma Treatment Options [share.upmc.com]

• Heart Failure

  This can worsen the risk of heart failure in people who already have heart problems. For many people, the holidays mean that special foods are suddenly in abundance, such as cookies, candy and rich dishes. [health.clevelandclinic.org]

  Medscape Education Oncology, August 2017 Risk of Heart Failure in Survivors of Hodgkin Lymphoma: Effects of Cardiac Exposure to Radiation and Anthracyclines In patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, the risk for heart failure increases with increasing radiation [medscape.org]

  “Not only is arrhythmia part of holiday heart syndrome, but [so is] heart failure. [healthline.com]

  […] of palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheadedness, stroke, and heart failure. [everydayhealth.com]

• Cardiomegaly

  A chest x-ray may show cardiomegaly. An echocardiogram should be performed to evaluate for any structural abnormalities and to assess cardiac function. Liver disease is often a feature Holiday heart syndrome as alcohol damages the liver. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Tachycardia

  The most common arrhythmia was sinus tachycardia (25.9%); atrial fibrillation (and/or atrial flutter) was seen in 0.8%. [emedicine.medscape.com]

  Not-so-happy holidays Holiday heart syndrome is a cardiac rhythm disturbance (usually a supraventricular tachycardia) caused by binge drinking commonly seen on weekends and around holidays. [journals.lww.com]

• Hepatomegaly

  The presenting feature common in all cases was superficial lymphadenopathy followed by hepatomegaly in 17 (20%) cases and splenomegaly in 16 (19%). All the marrow aspirates were negative for infiltration. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Abdomen: Abdominal enlargement may be noted with splenomegaly or hepatomegaly. Extremities: Regional and disseminated lymphadenopathy may occur in the limbs due to lymph node involvement of the disease. [symptoma.com]

  The nodes may also feel rubbery and swollen when examined Splenomegaly: enlargement of the spleen occurs in about 30% of people with Hodgkin's lymphoma Hepatomegaly: enlargement of the liver, due to liver involvement, is present in about 5% of cases. [slideshare.net]

  In some cases, abnormal enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly) or the liver (hepatomegaly) may occur. Additional symptoms may include abnormalities affecting the gastrointestinal system and/or kidneys. [rarediseases.org]

• Hepatosplenomegaly

  We report a case of an 18-year-old man, who presented with fever and was found to have pallor, generalised lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, ascites and pedal oedema. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Hepatosplenomegaly: the enlargement of both the liver and spleen caused by the same disease. [slideshare.net]

  In disseminated systemic disease, hepatosplenomegaly often occurs along with the involvement of other non-lymphoid organs, such as lungs, skin and gastrointestinal tract with symptoms attributed to the organs affected by the disease. [lecturio.com]

• Bone Pain

  During the second cycle of chemotherapy, she experienced sudden profound bone pain in the lumbosacral region associated with elevated levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), fibrin degradation products (D-Dimer), and alkaline phosphatase as well as pancytopenia [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Bone Pain One place Hodgkin's lymphoma can metastasize is bone marrow, and sometimes bone pain, a limp or a spontaneous fracture is the clue that Hodgkin's has recurred. [livestrong.com]

  cough or shortness of breath Pruritus Nodal pain, especially if preceded by drinking alcohol may occur in less than 10% of patients but is characteristic of Hodgkin lymphoma Rarely, hemoptysis Rarely, back or bone pain Imaging Findings Parenchymal lung [learningradiology.com]

  […] site with no evidence of disease elsewhere for at least 6 months Involvement of regional lymph nodes does not exclude diagnosis (Joint Bone Spine 2000;67:446) Symptoms: bone pain, pathologic fracture, mass, B symptoms; neurologic symptoms if vertebral [pathologyoutlines.com]

  Your provider may prescribe medicine to: Treat pain Treat or prevent an infection Prevent side effects, such as nausea or constipation, from other treatments Help your immune system fight cancer You may need a bone marrow or stem cell (cells that can [summitmedicalgroup.com]

• Back Pain

  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive and helpful tool when detecting spinal and paraspinal lesions and we emphasize that spinal MRI should be performed without delay if there is persistent back pain or sciatica. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Select as many as you like ADHD Abuse Acne Adderall Adoption and Fostering Agoraphobia Alcohol Alzheimers Ambien Amputee Anemia Anger Management Anorexia Anxiety Arthritis Asperger Syndrome Asthma Ativan Autism Back Pain Bedwetting Binge Eating Bipolar [hodgkins-lymphoma.supportgroups.com]

  Hodgkin's lymphoma symptoms include night sweats, enlarged lymph nodes, splenomegaly, and back pain. Treatment entails radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Hodgkin's lymphoma prognosis is generally good, provided that the disease is detected early. [medscape.org]

• Osteoporosis

  Lymphedema Lyrica Marijuana Medicaid Medicare Menopause Metformin Meth Methadone Migraine Military Military Family Miscarriage Moms Morphine Multiple Sclerosis Naproxen Narcissist Narcolepsy Neurontin Non Hodgkins Lymphoma Nutrition OCD Obesity Online Dating Osteoporosis [hodgkins-lymphoma.supportgroups.com]

  Bone thinning (osteoporosis) may occur with steroid treatments such as prednisone. Decrease in heart function may occur with the use of anthracycline drugs (such as doxorubicin). [mountsinai.org]

• Night Sweats

  Asymptomatic (A) - No fever, night sweats, or weight loss. Symptomatic (B) - Symptoms include fever, night sweats, or weight loss. Diagnosis The definitive way to diagnose Hodgkin's disease is via biopsy of the suspected lymph node. [news-medical.net]

  A 25 years old lady, 34 weeks primigravida was referred from the Emergency Department to the Medical Unit Khyber Teaching Hospital-MTI, Peshawar with four weeks of fever, progressive jaundice, pruritus, night sweats and weight loss. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  For the television series, see Night Sweats. Night sweats Other names Sleep sweats, nocturnal hyperhidrosis Specialty Infectious disease, oncology Night sweats is the occurrence of excessive sweating during sleep. [en.wikipedia.org]

  Signs and symptoms include painless, swollen lymph nodes, an enlarged spleen, fever, weight loss, fatigue, and night sweats. Also called Hodgkin disease. [cancer.gov]

  No fever, night sweats, or weight loss. Symptomatic (B). Symptoms of fever, night sweats, or weight loss. How is Hodgkin lymphoma treated in a child? Most children with Hodgkin lymphoma are treated successfully and cured. [urmc.rochester.edu]

• Pruritus

  All trials failed and her pruritus remained at level 8 of 10 most of the time. In April 2006, she started on thalidomide, 200 mg at night. The pruritus significantly improved to a level of 3 of 10 but did not disappear completely. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  Itching (pruritus) is another symptom in patients with Hodgkin disease. This can be mild or severe, and tends to occur more often in patients with advanced disease. Pruritus is less commonly found in children. [childrensoncologygroup.org]

• Excoriation

  The medical term for itching without a rash or irritation of the skin is pruritus without excoriation, and it is another signal of lymphatic inflammation, but it can also be a sign of liver involvement. [livestrong.com]

  Nonspecific cutaneous signs Nonspecific cutaneous signs include: Generalised pruritus or excoriations Acquired ichthyosis (very dry skin) Hyperpigmentation Spontaneous urticaria. Eczematised lesions Eczematised lesions may be paraneoplastic. [dermnetnz.org]

• Hyperhidrosis

  Night sweats Other names Sleep sweats, nocturnal hyperhidrosis Specialty Infectious disease, oncology Night sweats is the occurrence of excessive sweating during sleep. The person may or may not also perspire excessively while awake. [en.wikipedia.org]

• Neck Mass

  She developed a discharging lateral neck mass with progressive increase of the mediastinal mass. She subsequently required a neck exploration and mediastinoscopy. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Neck Swelling

  A 23-year-old Asian lady presented with a hard indurated midline neck swelling of 2 months duration without any upper aerodigestive tract or systemic symptoms of note. Her inflammatory markers were elevated and she was commenced on antibiotics. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Amenorrhea

  RESULTS: Six months following the end of chemotherapy, the menstrual cycle resumed in all Group A patients and in four Group B patients who had amenorrhea. Eight Group B patients had regular menses during and after chemotherapy. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  See Also Amenorrhea; Bone marrow transplantation ; Childhood cancers; Fertility and cancer; Imaging studies; Immune response Resources BOOKS Dollinger, Malin, et al. Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy. Kansas City : Andrews McKeel Publishing, 1997. [encyclopedia.com]

  Secondary amenorrhea after Hodgkin's lymphoma is influenced by age at treatment, stage of disease, chemotherapy regimen, and the use of oral contraceptives during therapy: a report from the German Hodgkin's Lymphoma Study Group. [emedicine.medscape.com]

• Insomnia

  Healthy Sex Heart Attack Heart Disease Heartburn Hepatitis C Heroin Herpes High Blood Pressure High Cholesterol Hives Hoarding Hodgkins Lymphoma Huntingtons Disease Hyperthyroidism Hypothyroidism Hysterectomy Incest Survivors Infertility Infidelity Insomnia [hodgkins-lymphoma.supportgroups.com]

  Excessive caffeine intake can cause insomnia and trigger an abnormal heart rhythm. Caffeine and alcohol also cause dehydration, which can lead to electrolyte imbalances and heart arrhythmia. [hawaiipacifichealth.org]

• Peripheral Neuropathy

  Peripheral neuropathy can also cause problems to muscles, the digestive system, and body organs including the heart. [mountsinai.org]

The following diagnostic procedures are used to verify and assess cases of Hodgkin’s disease in suspected individuals:

• Chest X-ray
• CT scan of chest, pelvis and abdomen
• Complete blood count
• Alkaline phosphatase, LDH, albumin, liver function test, calcium
• BUN and creatinine
• Lymph node biopsy
• MRI and PET
• Bone marrow biopsy

• Mediastinal Mass

  She developed a discharging lateral neck mass with progressive increase of the mediastinal mass. She subsequently required a neck exploration and mediastinoscopy. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Pericardial Effusion

  Whole lung and heart irradiation was also planned due to bilateral pleural and pericardial effusions. The prescribed radiation dose was 21 Gy to the PTV and 10.5 Gy to the whole lung and heart. Target coverage was comparable for both plans. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Anergy

  This is not the usual immunophenotype and cytokine production pattern of Th1, Th2 or Th0 cells and may be a reflection of anergy. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  […] weight loss (10% of body weight), pruritus (by some authors); associated with stage 3 or 4, mixed cellularity and lymphocyte depleted subtypes Pain in lymph nodes may occur with alcohol consumption (paraneoplastic symptom) Most patients have cutaneous anergy [pathologyoutlines.com]

• Enlargement of the Liver

  Symptoms Painless local or disseminated lymph node enlargement, swelling of liver and spleen, unexplained fever, and diffuse itch. [symptoma.com]

  Hepatosplenomegaly: the enlargement of both the liver and spleen caused by the same disease. [slideshare.net]

• Reticulocytosis

  This was manifested by normoblastic hyperplasia of the marrow, a moderate reticulocytosis and increased plasma iron clearance rates. The shortened red cell survival times were associated with the increased plasma iron clearance rates. [bloodjournal.org]

• Hypoglycemia

  Capillary glucose measurements during the spells revealed hypoglycemia. During two supervised fasts, the patient's plasma glucose levels fell to 35 mg/dL and 32 mg/dL, respectively. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

  […] coccidioidomycosis)[3] Lung abscess[3] Infective endocarditis[3] Brucellosis[6] Pneumocystis pneumonia (most often - in immunocompromised individuals) Endocrine disorders Menopause[7] Premature ovarian failure[3] Hyperthyroidism[3] Diabetes mellitus (nocturnal hypoglycemia [en.wikipedia.org]

• Lymphocytes Increased

  Infection : Certain viral and bacterial infections that transform lymphocytes increase the risk, such as the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which causes glandular fever. [medicalnewstoday.com]

• Decreased Platelet Count

  Biopsy of the lymph node was possible only after administration of intravenous immunoglobulins and normalization of the platelet count. Platelet counts increased after initiation of chemotherapy. [ima.org.il]

• Pleural Effusion

  effusion from lymphatic obstruction About 1/3 have pleural effusions Effusion usually does not contain malignant cells Pneumonic form Diffuse nonsegmental infiltrate (pneumonic type) Massive lobar infiltrates (30%) Homogeneous confluent infiltrates with [learningradiology.com]

  Pericardial and pleural effusions developed in one patient after cycles 4 and 5 of GV, consistent with gemcitabine-induced radiation recall. There were no toxic deaths. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

• Leukocytosis

  The joint distribution of white-cell and absolute lymphocyte counts reveals a clear shift of the bivariate distribution away from normal values toward leukocytosis and at least relative, if not absolute, lymphocytopenia. [nejm.org]

Patients with Hodgkin’s disease may benefit from these treatment modalities depending on the histologic type and stage of the disease. The main objective of the treatment regimen in Hodgkin’s disease is to eliminate as many cancer cells and bring the patient in the state of remission. The following treatment options are available for Hodgkin’s disease:

• Chemotherapy: This involves the introduction of cytotoxic drugs through the vein or orally to reach the cancer cells through the blood stream. Chemotherapy is used in combination with radiotherapy in the early stage of Hodgkin’s disease. A new drug developed for Hodgkin’s disease relapse cases called Brentuximab vedotin has shown promising results among patients [9]. Chemotherapy can complicate to leukemia, fertility problem, heart damage and lung damage.
• Radiotherapy: Radiation therapy is used in combination to chemotherapy but are used singly to treat early stages of the Lymphocyte predominant type of Hodgkin’s disease. Radiotherapy shares the same complications with chemotherapy. Malignant mesothelioma may complicate with radiotherapy [10].
• Stem cell transplant: This type of treatment involves the replacement of bone marrow with healthy stem cells derivatives. This option is used for patients who undergo frequent relapse. Stem cell replacement therapy usually follows radiotherapy and chemotherapy to restore the healthy bone marrow cells of the bones. 

The cure rate for Hodgkin’s disease rises up to 80% in patients treated early with chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy. Patients who experience relapse in a period of 12 months from full remission carry a poor prognosis.

Attributes like age of more than 45 years old, male sex, and involvement of many extranodal sites increase the likelihood of relapse for Hodgkin’s disease. Immunocompromised hosts like patients beyond 55 years old with Epstein Barr Virus infection may have poor prognosis with Hodgkin’s disease [8].

Complications

The following diseases are commonly seen as a complication of Hodgkin’s disease:

• Cardiovascular diseases
• Pulmonary diseases
• Weakened immune system
• Infertility
• Second cancers (lymphoma, leukemia, breast cancer and lung cancer)

The exact etiology of Hodgkin’s disease is still unknown to this date. Theories have been postulated like a B-cell mutation that causes it to be abnormally big (Reed-Sternberg cells) and to proliferate indefinitely compressing other normal cells to exert its symptomatology.

Some theories suggests the participation of the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) in the etiology because it is present in at least 30% of Hodgkin’s disease cases [2].

Treatment approach and prognostic outlook differs per subtype of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. There is a close correlation between Hodgkin’s disease and family history where siblings have up to 7 folds risk of acquiring the disease when a family member has been diagnosed to have one [3].

The current average incidence rate of Hodgkin’s disease in the United States for both sexes is 2.9 cases per 100,000 population [4]. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), at least 9,000 new cases of Hodgkin’s disease have been reported in Europe along with more than 1,100 deaths recorded for the year 2014 so far [5].

Hodgkin’s disease has a predilection among male children in up to 85% of cases in the United States. This disease has been found to have low incidence rate among Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma has bimodal peak observed initially in young adults (15-34 years old) with the nodular sclerosing type, and peaks again beyond 55 years old presenting with the mixed cellularity type of Hodgkin’s disease [6].

The pathophysiology of Hodgkin’s disease is believed to have originated in the clonal transformation of the B-cell which gives rise to the large bi-nucleate B-cells known as Reed-Sternberg cells. Other than the genetic susceptibility inherent to the individual the following environmental risk factors have noted to cause Hodgkin’s disease in an otherwise healthy host:

• History of exposure to radiation therapy or chemotherapy
• Previous intake of phenytoin
• Occupational exposure to wood works 
• Smokers have high risk to develop Hodgkin’s lymphoma [7]
• Infection with Epstein Barr virus, Herpes virus type 6, HIV, or Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• Post-transplant patients on immunesuppressants
• Congenital immunodeficiency disorders (e.g. Klinefelter syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome)
• Autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus 

Because the exact mechanisms that cause Hodgkin’s disease are still unknown, no modifiable lifestyle practices can prevent the emergence of Hodgkin’s disease.

Hodgkin’s disease or Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a clinical disorder characterized by localized or disseminated of proliferation of the lymphoreticular system of the body. These carcinogenic degeneration involves the spleen, lymph nodes, liver and the bone marrow.

The abnormal proliferation of lymphatic cells may compromise the immune system of the patient. The advances in medical science have allowed us to discover Hodgkin’s disease early in its clinical course and which has dramatically improved the prognosis in patients with this disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) have classified Hodgkin’s lymphoma into five distinct types according to histology: The lymphocyte rich, lymphocyte depleted, mixed cellularity, nodular sclerosing and the nodular lymphocyte predominant types [1].

Definition

Hodgkin’s disease or Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a localized or disseminated cancer of the lymphoreticular system of the body. 

Cause

Hodgkin’s disease is caused by a clonal mutation of the B-cells that gives rise to the large bi-nucleated Reed-Sternberg’s cells causing compression signs in the bone marrow, spleen, lymph nodes and liver. This inherently lowers the immune response of the patients.

Symptoms

Painless local or disseminated lymph node enlargement, swelling of liver and spleen, unexplained fever, and diffuse itch.

Diagnosis

Lymph node and bone marrow biopsy confirms the diagnosis of Hodgkin’s disease where the patient is submitted for immediate treatment.

Treatment and follow up

Diagnosed patients are treated in combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. After both therapies, a stem cell replacement is performed to replace bone marrow cells with a new and healthy stem cell. Patients should be vigilant of a possible relapse within 12 months from the start of treatment.

1. Jaffe ES, Harris NL, Stein H, Vardiman JW, eds. World Health Organization Classification of Tumours: Pathology and Genetics of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues. Lyon, France: IARC Press; 2001.
2. Staal SP, Ambinder R, Beschorner WE, Hayward GS, Mann R. A survey of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in lymphoid tissue. Frequent detection in Hodgkin's disease. Am J Clin Pathol. Jan 1989; 91(1):1-5.
3. Goldin LR, Pfeiffer RM, Gridley G, Gail MH, Li X, Mellemkjaer L, et al. Familial aggregation of Hodgkin lymphoma and related tumors. Cancer. May 1 2004; 100(9):1902-8. 
4. National Cancer Institute. SEER stat fact sheets: Hodgkin lymphoma. Updated September 10, 2014.
5. Sant M, Allemani C, Tereanu C, De Angelis R, Capocaccia R, Visser O, et al. Incidence of hematologic malignancies in Europe by morphologic subtype: results of the HAEMACARE project. Blood. Nov 11 2010; 116(19):3724-34.
6. Das P, Ng A, Constine LS, Hodgson DC, Mendenhall NP, Morris DE, et al. ACR Appropriateness Criteria on Hodgkin's lymphoma: favorable prognosis stage I and II. J Am Coll Radiol. Oct 2008; 5(10):1054-66.
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