Hodgkin's disease presenting with pyrexia of unknown origin

Abstract

ln Hodgkin's disease, the anatomical exten­sion of the disease and the histological sub­ type are the major determinants of the forms of disease presentation. Frequently, clinical ma­nifestations have low specificity and it is diffi­cult to suspect tbe diagnosis. A clinical case is reported of abdominal Hodgkin's disease of tbe lympbocyte depleted type, that presented initi­ally with pyrexia of unknown origin, followed by successive clinical and laboratory abnorma­lities, which, despite their severity, were not specific enough to elicit an immediate diagno­sis. A few of the less frequent forms of presen­tation of Hodgkin's disease are discussed, stres­sing the importance of being alert to the less typical manifestations of this disease.