Hodgkins Lymphoma Pathophysiology, symptoms and treatment

Hodgkins lymphoma is a neoplasm of the immune system that is marked by the presence of a type of cell called the Reed-Sternberg cell.

The two major types of Hodgkin lymphoma are classical Hodgkin lymphoma and nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.

Classic Hodgkin lymphoma
Classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) accounts for more than 9 in 10 cases of Hodgkin
lymphoma in developed countries.
The cancer cells in cHL are called Reed-Sternberg cells. These cells are usually an
abnormal type of B lymphocyte. Enlarged lymph nodes in people with cHL usually have
a small number of Reed-Sternberg cells with a lot of normal immune cells around them.
These other immune cells cause most of the swelling in the lymph nodes.
Classic HL has 4 subtypes:

nodular sclerosis Hodgkin lymphoma or NSCHL: This is the most common type
of Hodgkin disease in developed countries. It accounts for about 7 out of 10 cases.
It's most common in teens and young adults, but it can occur in people of any age.
It tends to start in lymph nodes in the neck or chest.

Mixed cellularity Hodgkin lymphoma or MCCHL: This is the second most
common type, found in about 4 out 10 cases. It's seen mostly in people with HIV
infection. It's also found in children or the elderly . It can start in any lymph node but
most often occurs in the upper half of the body.

Lymphocyte-rich Hodgkin lymphoma: This sub-type isn't common. It usually
occurs in the upper half of the body and is rarely found in more than a few lymph
nodes.

Lymphocyte-depleted Hodgkin lymphoma: This is a rare form of Hodgkin
disease. It's seen mainly in older people and those with HIV infection. It's more
aggressive than other types of HL and likely to be advanced when first found. It's
most often in lymph nodes in the abdomen (belly) as well as in the spleen, liver, and
bone marrow.

Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma
Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma accounts for about 5%
of cases. The cancer cells in NLPHL are large cells called popcorn cells (because they
look like popcorn), which are variants of Reed-Sternberg cells. You may also hear these
cells called lymphocytic and histiocytic (L&H) cells.
NLPHL usually starts in lymph nodes in the neck and under the arm. It can occur in
people of any age, and is more common in men than in women. This type of HL tends
to grow more slowly and is treated differently from the classic types.
Symptoms include the painless enlargement of lymph nodes, spleen, or other immune tissue. Other symptoms include fever, weight loss, fatigue, or night sweats. Also called Hodgkin disease.

• Category

  Lymphoma - Hodgkin - Childhood