HODGKIN'S DISEASE OF THE RECTUM

IN THE beginning of the 20th century it was generally believed that in Hodgkin's disease any part of the lymphatic system except the lymphatic tissue of the genitourinary, respiratory, and gastrointestinal tracts could be involved. However, Hess 1 already in 1907 had described a case of Hodgkin's granuloma localized in the sigmoid flexure and rectum with multiple small submucous nodules, some of which were slightly eroded. The same patient had an enlargement of the mediastinal lymph nodes, general lymphadenopathy, amyloidosis of the liver, and a large spleen. Histologically the lymph nodes and spleen revealed the presence of Paltauf-Sternberg cells, but unfortunately there is no mention of a microscopic examination of the lesions in the sigmoid or rectum. In 1913 Schlagenhaufer reported the first microscopically proved case of gastrointestinal localization of Hodgkin's disease. 2 In recent years gastrointestinal lesions caused by Hodgkin's disease have been reported with increasing frequency. Hodgkin's disease