Some aspects of lymphadenoma (Hodgkin's Disease) / by H.D. Rolleston.

  • Rolleston, Humphry Davy, Sir, 1862-1944.
Date:
[1911?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Some aspects of lymphadenoma (Hodgkin's Disease) / by H.D. Rolleston. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/20 (page 7)
    that the whole course of the disease occupies two or three years, but the interval between its local appearance and its generalisation varies. A man, aged 36, who died under my care with widespread lymphadenoma, had had for more than 15 years a mass of glands in the right axilla: this is a most exceptional interval. Another patient had had a pedunculated mass of lymphadenomatous glands in the left groin for 8 years before death occurred, mainly from lymph - adenoma in the liver. Acute Lymphadenoma.—Although some doubt must exist as to the nature of the cases described by Dreschfeld 11 in 1892, for the blood-counts given do not exclude acute lymphocytic leukaemia, a number of authenticated cases exist which Parkes Weber 10 has recently reviewed. In many cases which may at first appear to be acute, the disease, though undetected, is really of some standing and the symptoms have only been noticed when the disease became widespread. In a recent case published by Michell Clarke 25 a boy had enlarged glands 6 months before death ; these rapidly subsided under treatment, but 3 months before his death the glands in various parts of the body became enlarged. Before describing some aspects of the thoracic and abdomi¬ nal forms attention will be drawn to some interesting features which may occur in any form of lymphadenoma. Behaviour of the Enlarged Glands.—The growth of the glands varies much in different cases; it may be extremely rapid or very slow. The size of the glands may vary from time to time ; alternate enlargement or diminution may correspond with febrile and non-febrile periods. Apart from the effects of treatment, the glands may greatly diminish in size, probably from fibrosis ; but this change in the superficial glands may be accompanied by increased activity in those more deeply seated and in the viscera, and is therefore not a good prognostic. The size attained by the glands may be remarkable. The patient may not notice the enlargement for a considerable time, or may find it out quite accidentally. Temperature.—In the early stage of chronic lymphadenoma fever is usually absent, but most cases show it at some period or another, usually in the later stages, and there is much 25 Clarke, Michell : Journ. Path, and BacterialCambridge, 190S, XIII., 92