Hodgkin’s is a malignant disease of the lymphatic system that was characterized in 1832 by the English physician Thomas Hodgkin. The disease is differentiated from other forms of lymphoma by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells in the areas affected by the cancer. These large, often multinucleate cells were named for German researcher Carl von Sternberg, who described them in detail in 1898, and for American scientist Dorothy Reed, who independently described the cells in 1902.

Since the late 1990s, many members of the medical community have come to the conclusion that Reed-Sternberg cells are a malignant form of B lymphocyte, the type of cell that is normally involved in the production of antibodies. The cause of Hodgkin’s disease is not known, but having experienced infectious mononucleosis, an illness caused by the Epstein-Barr virus and spread via saliva, appears to slightly increase the risk of developing this form of lymphoma. Reduced immune system function due to other diseases, such as AIDS, or to immune system–suppressing drugs, often given to recipients of organ transplants, is also considered to place individuals at increased risk for developing Hodgkin's disease.

A granuloma is an inflammatory lesion that characteristically contains a variety of cell types, some of which are involved in breaking down the affected tissue and some that help restore it. Numerous small, red, granular spots that readily bleed can typically be seen in a granuloma. In many cases, granulomas also display caseation, a form of necrosis in which the degraded tissue is soft and crumbly as well as dull and opaque, similar to cheese. When caseation is present, it is generally located in the center of the granuloma tumor. Granulomas are associated with a number of diseases, including Hodgkin’s disease, tuberculosis, syphilis, Crohn’s disease, and sarcoidosis.

Most forms of lymphoma increase in incidence with age, but Hodgkin’s disease exhibits a bimodal distribution, tending to occur most commonly in young adults and in individuals that are over the age of 55. Incidence of the disease is also higher in males than in females. The earliest sign of Hodgkin’s is frequently painless swelling of the lymph nodes in the armpit or the neck, though lymph nodes in other areas as well as the liver, spleen, and other organs may also become enlarged. Other symptoms of the disease often include itching, fever, night sweats, fatigue, and weight loss.

In order to confirm diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease, a biopsy of the lymph nodes is usually performed. Subsequently, a series of tests are carried out to stage the progression of the disease in the patient. Based on details regarding the extent and location of lymphatic involvement obtained, a course of treatment is decided upon. The primary form of treatment for Hodgkin’s disease is a regimen of ABVD chemotherapy, which includes the drugs Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, and Dacarbazine, but radiation therapy may also be utilized instead or in conjunction with chemotherapy. Due to the nature of the Hodgkin’s disease, surgery is generally not considered an appropriate form of treatment.

Since the development of ABVD chemotherapy in Italy during the 1970s, death rates from this form of lymphoma have decreased more than 60 percent. As of 2004, approximately 85 percent of all Hodgkin’s patients that receive appropriate treatment survive more than five years after diagnosis. The specific chance of any particular individual being cured of the disease, however, depends upon a number of factors, especially the stage of progression of the cancer.

Hodgkin's Granuloma at 40x Magnification - According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 7,880 new cases of Hodgkin's disease were diagnosed in the United States in 2004. Fortunately, modern treatments for Hodgkin’s disease are remarkably effective.