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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · South Asian J Cancer 2020; 09(04): 236-239
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1723629
Original Article: Paediatric Cancer

Tuberculosis Coexistence in Pediatric Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: A Tropical Country Experience

Maneya Padma
1   Department of Pediatric Oncology, Kidwai Cancer Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
,
Nuthan Kumar
1   Department of Pediatric Oncology, Kidwai Cancer Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
,
Jyothi Munireddy
1   Department of Pediatric Oncology, Kidwai Cancer Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
,
Arun Kumar
1   Department of Pediatric Oncology, Kidwai Cancer Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
,
Pooja Chebbi Gujjal
1   Department of Pediatric Oncology, Kidwai Cancer Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
,
S. Chennagiri Premalata
2   Department of Pathology, Kidwai Cancer Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
› Author Affiliations Funding Nil.
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Abstract

Introduction Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL), being one of the common cancers among children, may occasionally masquerade as an infectious illness. Similarly, an underlying infection like tuberculosis (TB) may be missed in cases of HL because of similarity in clinical and radiological features. Here, we present our data of association of HL with histopathologically proven TB lymph node, their clinical presentation, treatment details, and outcome.

Materials and Methods A retrospective review of all the cases of HL diagnosed between January 2007 and December 2016 was done. The cases which had an association of TB, based on the histopathology, were reviewed separately.

Results A total of 262 children with HL were treated at our institute from January 2007 to December 2016. Of these cases, 42 children had received empirical antitubercular therapy (ATT) (due to suspicion of TB) before presenting to us, and only five cases had histopathologically proven TB lymph node. Ziehl–Neelsen (ZN) stain for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) was positive in the biopsy specimen of all the five cases, proving TB lymph node coexistence with HL. They were treated with six-drug ATT as per the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) guidelines along with chemotherapy with adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine regimen. All the five patients are healthy and disease free until their last follow-up.

Conclusion A high-end suspicion for concomitant TB and HL is needed, especially in our country where TB is still rampant. Biopsy with immunohistochemistry and demonstration of AFB can enable a definite diagnosis of both the entities.

Keywords

acid-fast bacillus - coexistence - Hodgkin’s lymphoma - tuberculosis


Publication History

Article published online:
12 June 2021

© 2021. MedIntel Services Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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