First Results of Intralymphatic Radiotherapy in Hodgkin's Disease

Abstract

The diagnostic findings and the therapeutical results obtained with the introduction of Lipiodol F¹³¹I into the lymphatic vessels of the dorsum of the foot in 36 patients affected by Hodgkin's disease, with involvement of the retroperitoneal lymph nodes, are presented. This method, called « intralymphatic radiotherapy », is both diagnostic and therapeutic, because the contrast medium opacifies the lymph nodes causing simultaneous irradiation. A considerable size reduction of the involved lymph nodes was observed. The maximum effect was obtained 1 or 2 months after the treatment and was directly proportional to the radioactivity of the introduced medium and to the degree of opacification of the lymph nodes and inversely proportional to their volume. At the same time a remarkable and generally early remission of the general symptomatology was obtained. The improvement lasted an average of eight months.