Radiation-induced splenic atrophy in patients with Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas
Effective treatment of Hodgkin's disease requires the determination of the extent of the disease. This usually involves staging laparotomy, which includes splenectomy and biopsies of the para-aortic lymph nodes, liver, and bone marrow. Absence of the spleen predisposes a person to fulminant septicemia from encapsulated bacteria, a risk even greater in patients undergoing treatment for Hodgkin's disease. For this reason, some investigators have suggested that spleens not be removed for diagnosis but, rather, that they be included within the fields of radiation, which would preserve normal splenic function. We present a case of fatal spontaneous pneumococcal sepsis in a patient with splenic atrophy; the sepsis occurred 12 years after successful treatment of Hodgkin's disease by total nodal and splenic irradiation. A retrospective study of patients treated for Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas indicated that atrophy and functional asplenia may be an important sequela of splenic irradiation.
- Research Organization:
- Stanford Univ., CA
- OSTI ID:
- 5557983
- Journal Information:
- New Engl. J. Med.; (United States), Vol. 302:4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Functional hyposplenia after splenic irradiation for Hodgkin's disease
Role of $sup 67$Ga citrate scanning in the management of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Related Subjects
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ATROPHY
RADIOINDUCTION
HODGKINS DISEASE
RADIOTHERAPY
LYMPHOMAS
SIDE EFFECTS
SPLEEN
DELAYED RADIATION EFFECTS
FRACTIONATED IRRADIATION
LOCAL IRRADIATION
MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE
PATIENTS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
DISEASES
IRRADIATION
MEDICINE
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOLOGY
THERAPY
560151* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man
550603 - Medicine- External Radiation in Therapy- (1980-)