Hodgkin's disease and AIDS. Twenty-three new cases and a review of the literature

Abstract

Despite numerous reports suggesting an association of Hodgkin's disease (HD) with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), HD in an individual seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) still is not considered a criterion for the diagnosis of AIDS. The authors report 23 new cases of HD in individuals at risk for AIDS and review the literature. As a group, individuals at risk for AIDS who develop HD have a more aggressive form of the illness (82% with stage III or IV), have or develop AIDS-related opportunistic infections (54%), second neoplasms (10%), and /or profound cytopenias (32%), and 85 to 90% are HIV positive when tested. More than two thirds die within 1 year of the diagnosis of HD. The authors conclude that HIV infection alters the clinical course of HD, that advanced or high-grade HD in HIV-infected individuals should be considered indicative of AIDS, and all patients with HD should be tested for HIV.