Head and Neck Imaging

Hodgkin's lymphoma, head and neck

(Thomas Hodgkin, 1798-1866, English physician), primary malignant tumour of the lymphatic system, in which the Reed-Sternberg cell is believed to represent the neoplastic cell. It is mainly a disease of adolescents and young adults. Nearly all patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma present with adenopathies. In the neck, involvement of lower neck lymph nodes is most commonly seen, although nodes at other neck sites may also be involved. Typically adjacent lymph nodes are involved, consistent with a unifocal disease origin. On imaging studies, the neck adenopathies in Hodgkin's lymphoma are typically large and homogeneous; lymph node necrosis is rarely seen.
Contrary to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, head and neck manifestation , primary extranodal sites are rare, especially without involvement of lymph nodes. Extranodal spread occurs when the tumour breaks through the nodal capsule and grows into the neighbouring tissues.

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