BACKGROUND. Hodgkin disease rarely presents as an osseous lesion, and the m
ajority of patients are found at staging to have concurrent disease in lymp
h nodes. Many cases of osseous Hodgkin disease have been misdiagnosed on in
itial biopsy.
METHODS, All cases of Hodgkin disease diagnosed by open bone biopsy at the
Mayo Clinic were identified. These included patients with primary osseous t
umors, those presenting with multiple sites of involvement (with osseous le
sions), and those with recurrence in bone. Recut sections were subjected to
immunohistochemical stains to confirm the diagnosis. Clinical data and fol
low-up information were obtained from patients' charts.
RESULTS. Twenty-five patients (15 males and 10 females with an average age
of 37 years) with osseous Hodgkin disease were identified during the years
1927-1996. Three patients had solitary, osseous tumors and two had primary,
multifocal, osseous Hodgkin disease without involvement of nonosseous site
s. Twelve patients who presented with lesions in osseous sites also had non
osseous tumors detected at staging, and 8 patients had recurrent Hodgkin di
sease that presented in bone. The majority of patients with primary and rec
urrent tumors presented only with bone pain; >50% of patients with concurre
nt osseous and nonosseous disease also had B-type symptoms, Nearly all lesi
ons were in the axial and proximal appendicular skeleton. Radiographic feat
ures included osteosclerotic, osteolytic, and mixed lytic/sclerotic pattern
s. Cortical destruction, periosteal new bane formation, and soft tissue mas
ses were present in 50% of cases. The histologic diagnosis of osseous Hodgk
in disease occasionally was problematic; osteomyelitis was the most frequen
t misdiagnosis. Immunohistochemical stains revealed expression of CD15 and
CD30 in neoplastic cells (which were negative for CD45 and B-cell and T-cel
l antigens) in all but two cases. Involved lymph nodes typically exhibited
nodular sclerosis Hodgkin disease. Three patients with primary solitary oss
eous Hodgkin disease received radiation treatment only; at last follow-up 2
patients were alive at 22 months and 10 years, respectively. patients with
concurrent osseous and nonosseous tumors exhibited a 60% overall survival
rate, but at last follow-up all 4 patients diagnosed after 1986 still were
alive; those with Hodgkin disease that recurred as osseous lesions had a 60
% survival rate at 8 years, but only 1 of the 5 patients diagnosed since 19
84 had died of disease.
CONCLUSIONS. Osseous Hodgkin disease typically presents with bone pain, and
the majority of patients have concurrent nonosseous lesions detected at st
aging. Radiographic features of osseous Hodgkin disease vary but indicate a
n aggressive malignant process. The histologic diagnosis may be problematic
; immunohistochemical stains aid in establishing the diagnosis of Hodgkin d
isease in bone. Survival of patients with osseous Hodgkin disease has been
found to be good for the last 10 years. Cancer 1999;85:1166-78. (C) 1999 Am
erican Cancer Society.