Journal of Labor and Childbirth

Lymphoma Images

 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is one of the few adult malignancies that can be cured in most instances. The salient feature of this lymphoma is the rarity (about 1%) of neoplastic elements in the cell population, whereas the overwhelming majority of cells are non-neoplastic, mostly consisting of T-lymphocytes. Although the clonal B-cell origin of both lymphocyte predominant and “classic” HL was recently demonstrated, thus enabling the term ‘Hodgkin disease’ to be changed to ‘Hodgkin lymphoma’ [3], the pathogenic mechanisms of this lymphoma are still largely unknown. HL is an uncommon malignancy, with 7000–7500 new cases diagnosed annually in the United States of America. Most of these patients present with early stage disease. This malignancy displays a bimodal curve in incidence in economically developed countries. In economically underdeveloped countries, the overall incidence of HL is lower than in developed countries, with the exception of children under the age of 15, where a higher incidence is seen. There is only a mild increase in incidence throughout adolescence and young adulthood. A difference in the distribution of histological subgroups occurs as well, since the incidence of nodular sclerosis is lower in underdeveloped countries. The dual-peak incidence of HL supports the hypothesis that this malignancy may actually be a common result of two distinct pathogenic processes: an infectious agent of low infectivity may be related to the disease in young adults, while a mechanism shared with other lymphomas may account for the pathogenesis of HL occurring in the older age group.

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