Development of Hodgkin’s Disease in a Patient with Leprosy

Abstract

We present a patient with leprosy who developed Hodgkin’s disease of the nodular sclerosing type. There are two previous reports describing the combination of leprosy and Hodgkin’s disease in a single patient [3, 9]. Hodgkin’s disease was diagnosed 14 months after the complete disappearance of mycobacterium leprae from the skin lesions, under treatment with DDS (diamino-diphenyl-sulfone). Hodgkin’s disease was treated by irradiation and chemotherapy. Obstructive jaundice developed which resolved under treatment by irradiation of the hilar area of the liver, chemotherapy and hormones. During two years of immuno-suppressive therapy, without DDS, no exacerbation of the leprosy occurred.