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Patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma may present with the following symptoms:
- Lymph nodes: the most common symptom of Hodgkin's is the painless enlargement of one or more lymph nodes, or lymphadenopathy. The nodes may also feel rubbery and swollen when examined. The nodes of the neck and shoulders (cervical and supraclavicular) are most frequently involved (80–90% of the time, on average). The lymph nodes of the chest are often affected, and these may be noticed on a chest radiograph.
- Itchy skin
- Night sweats
- Unexplained weight loss
- Splenomegaly: enlargement of the spleen occurs in about 30% of people with Hodgkin's lymphoma. The enlargement, however, is seldom massive, and the size of the spleen may fluctuate during the course of treatment.
- Hepatomegaly: enlargement of the liver, due to liver involvement, is present in about 5% of cases.
- Hepatosplenomegaly: the enlargement of both the liver and spleen caused by the same disease.
- Pain following alcohol consumption: classically, involved nodes are painful after alcohol consumption, though this phenomenon is very uncommon, occurring in only two to three percent of people with Hodgkin's lymphoma, thus having a low sensitivity. On the other hand, its positive predictive value is high enough for it to be regarded as a pathognomonic sign of Hodgkin lymphoma. The pain typically has an onset within minutes after ingesting alcohol, and is usually felt as coming from the vicinity where there is an involved lymph node. The pain has been described as either sharp and stabbing or dull and aching.
- Back pain: nonspecific back pain (pain that cannot be localised or its cause determined by examination or scanning techniques) has been reported in some cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma. The lower back is most often affected.
- Red-coloured patches on the skin, easy bleeding and petechiae due to low platelet count (as a result of bone marrow infiltration, increased trapping in the spleen etc.—i.e. decreased production, increased removal)
- Systemic symptoms: about one-third of patients with Hodgkin's disease may also present with systemic symptoms, including low-grade fever; night sweats; unexplained weight loss of at least 10% of the patient's total body mass in six months or less, itchy skin (pruritus) due to increased levels of eosinophils in the bloodstream; or fatigue (lassitude). Systemic symptoms such as fever, night sweats, and weight loss are known as B symptoms; thus, presence of fever, weight loss, and night sweats indicate that the patient's stage is, for example, 2B instead of 2A.
- Cyclical fever: patients may also present with a cyclical high-grade fever known as the Pel-Ebstein fever, or more simply "P-E fever". However, there is debate as to whether the P-E fever truly exists.
- Nephrotic syndrome can occur in individuals with Hodgkin's lymphoma and is most commonly caused by minimal change disease.
The signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma vary depending upon its location within the body. Symptoms include enlarged lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, weight loss, and feeling tired. Other symptoms may include bone pain, chest pain, or itchiness. Some forms are slow growing while others are fast growing. Enlarged lymph nodes may cause lumps to be felt under the skin when they are close to the surface of the body. Lymphomas in the skin may also result in lumps, which are commonly itchy, red or purple. Lymphomas in the brain can cause weakness, seizures, problems with thinking and personality changes.
Lymphoma may present with certain nonspecific symptoms; if the symptoms are persistent, an evaluation to determine their cause, including possible lymphoma, should be undertaken.
- Lymphadenopathy or swelling of lymph nodes, is the primary presentation in lymphoma.
- B symptoms (systemic symptoms) – can be associated with both Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. They consist of:
- Fever
- Night sweats
- Weight loss
- Other symptoms:
- Loss of appetite or anorexia
- Fatigue
- Respiratory distress or dyspnea
- Itching
There are two main types of intraocular lymphomas: primary central nervous system involvement (PCNSL) and primary central nervous system with ocular involvement (PCNSLO). The difference between PCNSL and PCNSLO is that PNSCL involves the central nervous system, while PCNSLO does not. 56-86% of orbital lymphomas are classified PCNSL and 15-25% are classified PCNSLO.
PCNSLO is common in people who are severely immunosuppressed.
Symptoms of this form of ocular lymphoma include painless decreased vision, sensitivity to light, a red eye, and floaters. Diagnosis is difficult due to its gradual onset and the fact that the symptoms are the same as other diseases.
PCNSLO is usually bilateral, but sometimes grows unevenly. Like other metastatic tumors of the eye, it is usually confined to the choroid.
Primary visible signs of ocular lymphoma include proptosis and a visible mass in the eye. Symptoms are due to mass effect.
Lymphomas in the strict sense are any neoplasms of the lymphatic tissues ("" + "") . The main classes are malignant neoplasms (that is, cancers) of the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that belongs to both the lymph and the blood and pervades both. Thus, lymphomas and leukemias are both tumors of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues, and as lymphoproliferative disorders, lymphomas and lymphoid leukemias are closely related, to the point that some of them are unitary disease entities that can be called by either name (for example, adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma).
Several classification systems have existed for lymphoma, which use histological and other findings to divide lymphoma into different categories. The classification of a lymphoma can affect treatment and prognosis. Classification systems generally classify lymphoma according to:
- Whether or not it is a Hodgkin lymphoma
- Whether the cell that is replicating is a T cell or B cell
- The site from which the cell arises
Lymphoma can also spread to the central nervous system, often around the brain in the meninges, known as lymphomatous meningitis (LM).
Follicular large-cell lymphoma is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system) with large cells that look cleaved (split) or non-cleaved under the microscope. It is an indolent (slow-growing) type of lymphoma.
In MeSH, it is currently classified under follicular lymphoma.
Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma, which is generally believed to result from white blood cells of the lymphocyte kind. Symptoms may include fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Often there will be non-painful enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, under the arm, or in the groin. Those affected may feel tired or be itchy.
About half of cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma are due to Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Other risk factors include a family history of the condition and having HIV/AIDS. There are two major types of Hodgkin lymphoma: classical Hodgkin lymphoma and nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma. Diagnosis is by finding Hodgkin's cells such as multinucleated Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells) in lymph nodes.
Hodgkin lymphoma may be treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and stem cell transplant. The choice of treatment often depends on how advanced the cancer has become and whether or not it has favorable features. In early disease, a cure is often possible. The percentage of people who survive five years in the United States is 86%. For those under the age of 20, rates of survival are 97%. Radiation and some chemotherapy drugs, however, increase the risk of other cancers, heart disease, or lung disease over the subsequent decades.
In 2015 about 574,000 people had Hodgkin's lymphoma, and 23,900 died. In the United States, 0.2% of people are affected at some point in their life. The most common age of diagnosis is between 20 and 40 years old. It was named after the English physician Thomas Hodgkin, who first described the condition in 1832.
The clinical presentation varies according to the type of ALCL. Two of the ALCL subtypes are systemic lymphomas, in that they usually present with enlarged lymph nodes in multiple regions of the body, or with tumors outside the lymph nodes (extranodal) such as bone, intestine, muscle, liver, or spleen. These 2 subtypes usually associate with weight loss, fevers and night sweats, and can be lethal if left untreated without chemotherapy. The third type of ALCL is so-called cutaneous ALCL, and is a tumor that presents in the skin as ulcers that may persist, or occasionally may involute spontaneously, and commonly recur. This type of ALCL usually manifests in different regions of the body and may extend to regional lymph nodes, i.e., an axillary lymph node if the ALCL presents in the arm.
A rare subtype of ALCL has been identified in a few women who have silicone breast implants (protheses) as a result of breast reconstruction after a diagnosis of breast cancer. The tumor initially manifests with swelling of the breast due to fluid accumulation around the implant. The disease may progress to invade the tissue surrounding the capsule, and if left untreated may progress to the axillary lymph nodes.
It typically presents at a late stage and is often associated with systemic symptoms ("B symptoms").
The many different forms of lymphoma probably have different causes. These possible causes and associations with at least some forms of NHL include the following:
- Infectious agents:
- Epstein-Barr virus: associated with Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, follicular dendritic cell sarcoma, extranodal NK-T-cell lymphoma
- Human T-cell leukemia virus: associated with adult T-cell lymphoma
- Helicobacter pylori: associated with gastric lymphoma
- HHV-8: associated with primary effusion lymphoma, multicentric Castleman disease
- Hepatitis C virus: associated with splenic marginal zone lymphoma, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- HIV infection
- Some chemicals, like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), diphenylhydantoin, dioxin, and phenoxy herbicides.
- Medical treatments, like radiation therapy and chemotherapy
- Genetic diseases, like Klinefelter's syndrome, Chédiak-Higashi syndrome, ataxia telangiectasia syndrome
- Autoimmune diseases, like Sjögren’s syndrome, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
The B-cell lymphomas are types of lymphoma affecting B cells. Lymphomas are "blood cancers" in the lymph nodes. They develop more frequently in older adults and in immunocompromised individuals.
B-cell lymphomas include both Hodgkin's lymphomas and most non-Hodgkin lymphomas. They are typically divided into low and high grade, typically corresponding to indolent (slow-growing) lymphomas and aggressive lymphomas, respectively. As a generalisation, indolent lymphomas respond to treatment and are kept under control (in remission) with long-term survival of many years, but are not cured. Aggressive lymphomas usually require intensive treatments, with some having a good prospect for a permanent cure.
Prognosis and treatment depends on the specific type of lymphoma as well as the stage and grade. Treatment includes radiation and chemotherapy. Early-stage indolent B-cell lymphomas can often be treated with radiation alone, with long-term non-recurrence. Early-stage aggressive disease is treated with chemotherapy and often radiation, with a 70-90% cure rate. Late-stage indolent lymphomas are sometimes left untreated and monitored until they progress. Late-stage aggressive disease is treated with chemotherapy, with cure rates of over 70%.
There are numerous kinds of lymphomas involving B cells. The most commonly used classification system is the WHO classification, a convergence of more than one, older classification systems.
The presentation depends if it is mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome the most common, though not the only types.
Among the symptoms for the aforementioned types are:lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and non-specific dermatitis.
A point-based algorithm for the diagnosis for early forms of cutaneous T cell lymphoma was proposed by The International Society for Cutaneous Lymphomas in 2005.
Diagnosis usually occurs at an early stage of disease progression.
Ann Arbor staging is used to classify tumors and symptoms. Stage IV disease is very rare.
The T-cell lymphomas are four types of lymphoma that affect T cells. These account for about one in ten cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
They can be associated with Epstein Barr virus and Human T-cell leukemia virus-1.
Primary mediastinal (thymic) large B-cell lymphoma, also called primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBCL) and mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, is a distinct type of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma involving the mediastinum, recognized in the WHO 2008 classification.
PMLBCL arises from a putative thymic peripheral B cell. It has several distinctive biological features. Molecular analysis shows that PMLBCL is distinct from other types of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). MAL gene expression is seen in 70%, unlike other diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. Gene expression profiling shows considerable variance from other DLBCLs and similarity to Hodgkin disease.
PMLBCL is CD20 positive, expresses pan-B markers including CD79a, and has clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangements and mRNA but paradoxically does not express cytoplasmic or cell surface immunoglobulin.
Clinically, PMLBCL is unusual in several respects. It affects primarily young adults; the median age is 37 years. It is more common in females. Despite 80% PMLBCL being stage I or II, the presenting anterior mediastinal mass is often over 10 cm and is locally invasive of lung, chest wall, pleura, and pericardium. Superior vena cava syndrome occurs in 30-50%, and pleural or pericardial effusions occur in about one-third. At initial presentation, PMLBCL is usually confined to mediastinum, but its bulk, rather than additional adenpathy, can sometimes may be palpated at the low neck. Increased LDH is seen in approximately 75%, but unlike other large cell lymphomas, no increase in beta-2 microglobulin is seen even when bulky which may relate to defective major histocompatibility complex expression.
Anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma involving aberrant T cells or null lymphocytes. It is described in detail in the "Classification of Tumours of the Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues" edited by experts of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The term anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) encompasses at least 4 different clinical entities, all sharing the same name, and histologically have also in common the presence of large pleomorphic cells that express CD30 and T-cell markers. Two types of ALCL present as systemic disease and are considered as aggressive lymphomas, while two types present as localized disease and may progress locally.
Its name derives from anaplasia and large-cell lymphoma.
The four classes are:
- Extranodal T cell lymphoma
- Cutaneous T cell lymphomas: Sézary syndrome and Mycosis fungoides
- Anaplastic large cell lymphoma
- Angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma
More information on various classification schemes is in the main lymphoma article.
Mixed-cell lymphomas are lymphomas that have both large cells and small cells in them. This nomenclature is derived from an older system of pathology, before technological advances allowed much more precise descriptions of the affected cancerous cells.
In MeSH, the phrase "mixed-cell lymphoma" is currently classified under non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In humans, eosinophilic granulomas are considered a benign histiocytosis that occurs mainly in adolescents and young adults. Clinically, unifocal lytic lesions are found in bones such as the skull, ribs and femur. Because of this, bone pain and pathologic fractures are common.
Cats with eosinophilic granuloma complex (EGC) may have one or more of four patterns of skin disease.
The most frequent form is "eosinophilic plaque". This is a rash comprising raised red to salmon-colored and flat-topped, moist bumps scattered on the skin surface. The most common location is on the ventral abdomen and inner thigh.
Another form of EGC is the "lip ulcer". This is a painless, shallow ulcer with raised and thickened edges that forms on the upper lip adjacent to the upper canine tooth. It is often found on both sides of the upper lips.
The third form of the EGC is the "collagenolytic granuloma". This is a firm swelling that may be ulcerated. The lesions may form on the skin, especially of the face, in the mouth, or on the feet, or may form linear flat-topped raised hairless lesions on the back of the hind legs, also called "linear granuloma".
The least common form of EGC is "atypical eosinophilic dermatitis". It is unique in that it is caused by mosquito bite allergy and the lesions form on the parts of the body with the least hair affording easy access to feeding mosquitoes. This includes the bridge of the nose, the outer tips of the ears and the skin around the pads of the feet. The lesions are red bumps, shallow ulcers and crusts.
Localized granuloma annulare has a tendency towards spontaneous resolution. Localized lesions have been treated with potent topical corticosteroids.