LYMPHOCYTE-DEPLETED HODGKINS-DISEASE - DIAGNOSTIC CHALLENGES BY FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION

The diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) can be problematic. A case of Hodgkin's disease, lymphocyte depleted subt ype, sampled by FNA biopsy is presented. We describe the cytomorpholog ic features present in this unusual subtype of Hodgkin's disease and d iscuss the differential diagnosis. Immunohistochemical and morphologic findings of a subsequent biopsy specimen supported the diagnosis. Alt hough FNA is an increasingly used diagnostic modality to evaluate tumo rs including malignant lymphomas, Hodgkin's disease remains, as in thi s case, a difficult diagnosis by FNA. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.