Hodgkin's lymphoma

Alternative names:

Hodgkin's disease; lymphoma - Hodgkin's

Definition:

A malignancy of lymphoid tissue found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and bone marrow.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The presence of the disease is suspected when an enlarged lymph node appears without a known cause. The disease spreads to adjacent lymph nodes, and late in the disease may be spread by blood. Characteristic Reed-Sternberg cells are seen by microscopic study of the cells (histology). The cause of the disease and the risk factors are unknown. The incidence is 2 out of 10,000 people and peaks in those 15 to 35 and 50 to 70 years old.