Lymphoproliferative disorders Flashcards
Which nodes are most commonly involved in Hodgkin’s disease?
Cervical
What are the cardinal features of Hodgkin’s disease, which distinguish it from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
Lymph node involvement is always contiguous (suggests lymphatic spread of malignant cells)
Reed-Sternberg cells on biopsy
(Giant, multinucleated B cells)
What are the systemic symptoms of Hodgkin’s disease?
B symptoms:
- Fever
- Night sweats
- Weight loss
Others:
- Pruritis
To what infection are patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma typically predisposed?
Herpes zoster
What specific symptom indicates Hodgkin’s disease?
Alcohol-induced pain at site of disease
What is the staging system for lymphomas?
Ann Arbor
Stage I: Involvement of only one group of lymph nodes
Stage II: Involvement of more than one group of lymph nodes but only on one side of the diaphragm
Stage III: Involvement of lymph nodes on both sides of the diaphragm
Stage IV: Extra-lymphatic involvement (eg bone marrow, liver)
What are the treatment approaches for Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
Local radiotherapy if stage IA or IIA
Chemotherapy +/- radiotherapy for higher stages
With what viral infections are NHL associated?
EBV (particularly in post-transplant pt)
HIV (Burkitts lymphoma)
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus
What are the two broad histological categories of NHL?
Low grade = indolent, may become aggressive with time. Essentially without cure but survival may be prolonged (>5yrs)
High grade = higher earlier mortality but more responsive to treatment, 30% 5 yr disease-free survival.
Other than radio-/chemotherapy, what can be used in the management of NHL?
Rituximab - significantly improved responses in B cell lymphoma
Stem cell or bone marrow transplant
With what haematological malignancy is Down’s syndrome associated?
ALL
