[Skeletal and medullary involvement in Hodgkin's disease].

Abstract

In 70 patients with clinical stage II, III or IV Hodgkin's disease, 31 were found to have skeletal involvement. The value of the bone scanning in the demonstration of osseous and marrow lesions is emphasized : scanning enabled localised marrow involvement in 24 patients to be detected and could be used as a guide for the biopsy needle in 11 cases. The histopathological features of marrow involvement by Hodgkin's disease are described. In view of the better knowledge of the frequency of splenic, skeletal or hepatic involvement, the preferential involvement of a particular organ in disseminated diseases is discussed. The high frequency of splenic involvement could be due to the inadequacy of the methods detecting hepatic or marrow involvement, although the nature of the disease could also be a factor.