A Case of Classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Presenting With Intractable Pruritus

Abstract

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma presenting with hypereosinophilia and intractable pruritus is a rare entity. Diagnostic and therapeutic decisions remain a challenge in such patients. Here we report a case of a 25-year-old female with a special case of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. A 25-year-old was admitted to our hospital for intractable pruritus and was found to have significant leukocytosis with eosinophilic predominance. The patient underwent a bone marrow biopsy and mediastinal lymph node biopsy, which confirmed classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Furthermore, the patient was given six cycles of adriamycin, bleomycin, vincristine, and doxorubicin (ABVD) chemotherapy and initially showed improvement; however, she relapsed within a short period. Post-treatment positron emission tomography (PET) scan showed interval progression of the disease, and so the patient was referred for a clinical trial with immunotherapy and Brentuximab vedotin.

Scratching the Surface: A Paraneoplastic Pruritus Phenomenon in a Mediastinal Mass

“…6 In similar cases seen in both children and adults, patients suffering from intractable pruritus improved vastly with initiation of chemotherapy for lymphoma. 7,8 Even in the absence of systemic disease, the impact of chronic pruritus on quality of life should not be underestimated, and appropriate treatment should be provided. 6 Common treatment options include oral therapies such as antihistamines, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants as well as topical forms of steroids, capsaicin, and calcineurin inhibitors.…”