New article published in Spanish Journal of Pathology highlights a rare case of Hodgkin's lymphoma

Jun 3 2015

Dr. Jerónimo Forteza, Professor of Pathology and Director of the Valencian Institute of Pathology, Catholic University of Valencia "San Vicente Mártir," recently published an article in the Spanish Journal of Pathology on the case of a patient with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Medicine student Pablo Sánchez Vela performed this diagnostic work under the supervision of Dr. Forteza.

Most cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma arise in lymph nodes and rarely in locations outside of the nodules. What distinguishes this case is precisely that it is a classical Hodgkin's lymphoma with extranodal location in an organ, the thyroid. In fact, there have been only 26 cases described like this in the scientific literature.

The results are consistent with previously reported cases, explained Dr. Forteza. "It would appear that the lesions grew over a MALT tissue created by the lymphoid proliferation of the thyroiditis. We performed differential diagnosis between the different types of lymphomas considering those most commonly occurring in extranodal lymphoid tissues. A final diagnosis was reached after consideration of the histopathology, immunophenotyping and molecular biology."

Lymphomas are a group of diseases that develop in the lymphatic system, which also form part of the human's body immune system. Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of malignant lymphoma whose cause is unknown and it is most common among people of 15-35 and 50-70 years old.

The director of the Valencian Institute of Pathology has ensured that this is a disease with one of the most advanced treatments and "can be considered a paradigm of oncology. Thus good therapeutic responses in the cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma have meant cures are between 90 and 95%."

"The work that contributed the most to the cure of Hodgkin's lymphoma was developed during the mid-twentieth century by Saul Rosenberg and Henry Kaplan of Stanford University (USA). Currently, the disease has sought molecular parameters and therapeutic targets that allow a more efficient treatment, although a clever combination of diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiotherapy has been fundamental, " Dr. Forteza said.

For Dr. Forteza the development of oncology "can be understood through the chronology of the treatment of Hodgkin's disease". René Clement in 1925 attempted the destruction of the lesion with radiotherapy and Rosenberg in 1968 was the first to combine radiotherapy with chemotherapy to combat this disease.