NLPHL : Treatment

Comments:
Treatment of Nodular Lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma (NLPHL): Lymphadenectomy combined with radiation to the involved field is considered adequate treatment for NLPHL. Rituximab (anti-CD20 antibody) has been tried with excellent results in stage IA NLPHL.

The initial response rate is 100%; however, about 25% of cases relapse. A drawback of using rituximab is that it may cause selection of CD20-negative subclones resulting in recurrences with a CD20-negative lymphoma. In advanced cases, standard chemotherapy regimens for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma are used.

This image shows several lymphocyte-predominant (LP) cells with complex, multilobated nuclei (popcorn cells) in a background of small lymphocytes. They have one or more basophilic nucleoli and scant cytoplasm. A few scattered epithelioid histiocytes are also present.