Clinical and Morphological Correlation of Hodgkin's Disease in Children

Abstract

Clinical and morphological characteristics of Hodgkin's disease were studied in 62 children. The classification by histological type and staging were based on international recommendations. The morphological investigation included repeated biopsies and the study of several lymph nodes and serial sections. Lymphocyte predominance type appeared to be the most frequent histological type, being diagnosed in 47% of the children.

Clinical and morphological observations allowed us to distinguish an additional histological type, « incipient» Hodgkin's disease, in which the structure of the lymph nodes is conserved, but there is a small quantity of pathological cells. Clinical manifestations were minimal in this type of Hodgkin's disease. Lymphocyte predominance type was often associated with Stage I and II and was often met in infants; lymphocyte depletion was correlated with Stage III and IV and with general symptoms; nodular sclerosis and Stage II were observed in older children.