A rare clinical presentation of Hodgkin's disease

Abstract

Hodgkin's disease or Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is a hematolymphoid neoplasm of B-cell lineage that has unique histologic, immunophenotypic, and clinical features. The occurrence of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and neurological symptoms is rare in this disease. We present a case report of a 40-year-old woman who presented to our outpatient department with HLH and cerebellar signs. On further investigations, she was found to have classical HL. Her clinical condition improved with one cycle chemotherapy and steroids and she is on follow-up. This case indicates that a strong index of clinical suspicion is key to diagnose HLH and neurological symptoms (probably paraneoplastic) in HL. The cornerstone of management is identifying and treating the underlying cause.

Keywords

• hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
• hodgkin's lymphoma
• neurological
• paraneoplastic