Coexistence of Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma; Composite Lymphoma (CL) in a patient presenting with waxing and waning lymphadenopathy.

Abstract

BACKGROUND The coexistence of two or more types of lymphoma within the same organ at the same time of diagnosis is defined as composite lymphoma, a rare disease that has recently been identified in the literature (1). Pointedly, the concurrence may be Hodgkin lymphoma with a Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) either B or T cells, or two different entities of NHLs. Furthermore, this condition has been described concurrently or sequentially (2). In order for the diagnosis to be established, two or more distinct clones should be proven by morphological and laboratory tests (3). Case presentation: Herein, we cite a seventy-three-years old female patient who presented with low-grade fever, waxing and waning cervical lymphadenopathy, whose biopsy of an axillary lymph node demonstrated the rare coexistence of Hodgkin and NHL, known as composite lymphoma. Conclusion: Composite lymphomas pose a particular diagnostic challenge, and currently there are no agreed standards for treatment (4).