Maladie de Hodgkin à localisation pulmonaire excavée apparemment primitive. A propos d'un cas.

: The authors report a rare and diagnostically difficult clinical case of primary pulmonary Hodgkin's disease, with cavitation. They stress the diagnostic difficulties which they encountered: Indeed four stages are described in this case in which different diagnoses were considered as follows, a primary or secondary lung cancer, non-specific pulmonary suppuration, atypical hydated disease (as is frequently seen in Algeria) and finally pulmonary tuberculosis. The diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease was not considered until post-mortem. A review of the literature has called attention to the great rarity of cavitating Hodgkin's disease (only 53 cases in the world published). A clinical, radiological and anatomical study of the principal case published enhances the commentary on this rare case. In addition the pathogenesis of this granulomatous necrosis in Hodgkin's disease is discussed.