Hodgkin's and Castleman's disease in a patient with systemic mastocytosis

Systemic mastocytosis is a rare condition characterized clinically by the l ocal consequences of vasoactive peptides released from infiltrating mast ce lls in the reticuloendothelial tissues. Mast cells originate from the pluri potent bone marrow stem cells; it is therefore not surprising that myelopro liferative and myelodysplastic disorders commonly coexist or terminate the clinical phase of mastocytosis. We report here, to our knowledge, the first case of Hodgkin's and Castleman's disease occurring in a patient with co-e xistent systemic mastocytosis, which remained unchanged after combination c hemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease.