A 23-year-old man with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) involving multiple lymph nodes, stage IIIB, International Prognostic Score 5, was treated with adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine, with a partial response. By the end of chemotherapy, his B symptoms resolved, but he had a new inguinal rash with pruritus. A computed tomography scan revealed bilateral inguinal bulky lymphadenopathy. A punch biopsy showed fragments of skin with multiple foci of lymphoid infiltrate (panel A; original magnification ×40, hematoxylin and eosin [H&E] stain) composed of numerous Reed-Sternberg and Hodgkin-like cells on a background of small lymphocytes and eosinophils (panel B; original magnification ×200; inset, original magnification ×1000; H&E stain). Immunohistochemical stains showed that the large neoplastic cells are positive for PAX5 (dim) (panel C; original magnification ×400), CD3 (focally) (panel D; original magnification ×1000), and CD15 and CD30 (panel E; original magnification ×40; inset, original magnification ×1000) and negative for CD2, CD4, CD5, CD7, CD8, CD20, CD45, and ALK-1. In situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus was negative. These histologic and immunophenotypic findings support the diagnosis of recurrent cHL.
This interesting case demonstrates skin involvement by cHL with CD3 expression. Because cHL has a 0.5% to 3% chance of involving skin and a 5% chance of expressing T cell markers, it is extremely rare to see both of these events in the same patient.
A 23-year-old man with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) involving multiple lymph nodes, stage IIIB, International Prognostic Score 5, was treated with adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine, with a partial response. By the end of chemotherapy, his B symptoms resolved, but he had a new inguinal rash with pruritus. A computed tomography scan revealed bilateral inguinal bulky lymphadenopathy. A punch biopsy showed fragments of skin with multiple foci of lymphoid infiltrate (panel A; original magnification ×40, hematoxylin and eosin [H&E] stain) composed of numerous Reed-Sternberg and Hodgkin-like cells on a background of small lymphocytes and eosinophils (panel B; original magnification ×200; inset, original magnification ×1000; H&E stain). Immunohistochemical stains showed that the large neoplastic cells are positive for PAX5 (dim) (panel C; original magnification ×400), CD3 (focally) (panel D; original magnification ×1000), and CD15 and CD30 (panel E; original magnification ×40; inset, original magnification ×1000) and negative for CD2, CD4, CD5, CD7, CD8, CD20, CD45, and ALK-1. In situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus was negative. These histologic and immunophenotypic findings support the diagnosis of recurrent cHL.
This interesting case demonstrates skin involvement by cHL with CD3 expression. Because cHL has a 0.5% to 3% chance of involving skin and a 5% chance of expressing T cell markers, it is extremely rare to see both of these events in the same patient.
For additional images, visit the ASH Image Bank, a reference and teaching tool that is continually updated with new atlas and case study images. For more information, visit http://imagebank.hematology.org.
![A 23-year-old man with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) involving multiple lymph nodes, stage IIIB, International Prognostic Score 5, was treated with adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine, with a partial response. By the end of chemotherapy, his B symptoms resolved, but he had a new inguinal rash with pruritus. A computed tomography scan revealed bilateral inguinal bulky lymphadenopathy. A punch biopsy showed fragments of skin with multiple foci of lymphoid infiltrate (panel A; original magnification ×40, hematoxylin and eosin [H&E] stain) composed of numerous Reed-Sternberg and Hodgkin-like cells on a background of small lymphocytes and eosinophils (panel B; original magnification ×200; inset, original magnification ×1000; H&E stain). Immunohistochemical stains showed that the large neoplastic cells are positive for PAX5 (dim) (panel C; original magnification ×400), CD3 (focally) (panel D; original magnification ×1000), and CD15 and CD30 (panel E; original magnification ×40; inset, original magnification ×1000) and negative for CD2, CD4, CD5, CD7, CD8, CD20, CD45, and ALK-1. In situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus was negative. These histologic and immunophenotypic findings support the diagnosis of recurrent cHL. / This interesting case demonstrates skin involvement by cHL with CD3 expression. Because cHL has a 0.5% to 3% chance of involving skin and a 5% chance of expressing T cell markers, it is extremely rare to see both of these events in the same patient.](https://ash.silverchair-cdn.com/ash/content_public/journal/blood/133/5/10.1182_blood-2018-10-878058/3/m_blood878058f1.png?Expires=1765970926&Signature=0FOScaVli8-ZMnXooBnKGaH3U~wGTNuaPl307eNU8xVWOY5LHPVtTrScYp7-PKtFcZooCinUU0IpNi5~l3JJZtBaI~~035bV0j5GTkE6w0Vrmky6QWEr9OBi9LtAcTfpoabEOzYQmPfdpF6EUFZXQNkZmZRHZ9gPaZV~DraifBotb-5UNT9EUO8sHLlcLaeVbO9QpC8CZCOyjztf6gk3SC~ECrdjFczbCCRzJrE6ESyUUK-RCcc8hJfB0jWyXz02aIF-0G~0eyq0zUUPoCkDhu5KNA48tV2a76xbgows2QDA4-JROj4UW3Z9y9Nr39OQCsYo~WHE~krph17H7GPz~w__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIE5G5CRDK6RD3PGA)