Hodgkin's Disease (HD) is a cancer that usually affects the lymph glands but may also involve the liver, spleen, lungs, bone, bone marrow or other body organs. It may present as an enlarged lymph gland without any other symptoms or it may be associated with fever, night sweats and weight loss. These are referred to as "B" symptoms. Itching (pruritus) is a typical complaint of HD patients as is pain over the affected glands when ingesting alcohol but neither is considered a true "B" symptom.
Subtypes Of HD
There are 5 subtypes of HD based on their microscopic appearance.
Nodular sclerosis
Mixed cellularity
Lymphocyte-depletion HD
Nodular lymphocyte predominance
Lymphocyte-rich classical HD
The outcome for the first 3 subtypes is similar. Nodular lymphocyte predominance and lymphocyte-rich classical HD generally have a better prognosis in that they tend to present with localised disease in younger individuals.
Useful Resources
The following web sites may provide further helpful information:
