Summary
Ten cases of nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease involving lymph nodes were studied by electron microscopy to determine the ultrastructural composition of the nodule-stromal interphase and the collagenized regions. In addition to a few lymphocytes, rare eosinophils and neutrophils, abundant filamentous and granular electron dense material, collagen fibers and myofibroblasts were observed in all instances. Since myofibroblasts possess contractile and synthetic properties, it is likely they contribute to the retraction and sclerosis which together represent one of the morphologic hallmarks of the disease. The dense fibrosis and contractile state of such tissue may constitute a beneficial host response to contain and limit local and vascular invasion by the neoplastic cellular population, thus contributing to the relative benignity of this form of Hodgkin's disease.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anagnostou, D., Parker, J.W., Taylor, C.R., Tindle, B.H., Lukes, R.J.: Lacunar cells of nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease. An ultrastructural and immunohistologic study. Cancer 39, 1032–1043 (1977)
Bolande, R.P.: Developmental pathology. Am. J. Pathol. 94, 623–683 (1979)
Butler, J.J.: Relationship of histological findings to survival in Hodgkin's disease. Cancer Res. 31, 1770–1775 (1971)
Dorfman, R.F.: Relationship of histology to site in Hodgkin's disease. Cancer Res. 31, 1786–1793 (1971)
Dorfman, R.F., Rice, D.F., Mitchell, A.D., Kempson, R.L., Levine, G.: Ultrastructural studies of Hodgkin's disease. Natl. Cancer Inst. Monogr. 36, 221–238 (1973)
Gabbiani, G., Ryan, G.B., Majno, G.: Presence of modified fibroblasts in granulation tissue and their possible role in wound contraction. Experientia 27, 549–550 (1971)
Gabbiani, G., Hirschel, B.J., Ryan, G.B., Statkov, P.R., Majno, G.: Granulation tissue as a contractile organ. A study of structure and function J. Exp. Med. 135, 719–734 (1972)
Gabbiani, G., Le Lous, M., Bailey, A.J., Bazin, S. and Delaunay, A.: Collagen and myofibroblasts of granulation tissue. A chemical, ultrastructural and immunological study. Virchows Arch. B. Cell Pathol. 21, 133–145 (1976)
Gabbiani, G., Montandon, D.: Reparative processes in mammalian wound healing. The role of contractile phenomena. Int. Rev. Cytol. 48, 187–219 (1977)
Glick, A.D., Leech, J.H., Flexner, J.M., Collins, R.D.: Ultrastructural study of Reed-Sternberg cells. Comparison with transformed lymphocytes and histiocytes. Am. J. Pathol. 85, 195–208 (1976)
Levine, G.D., Dorfman, R.F.: Nodular lymphoma: An ultrastructural study of its relationship to germinal centers and a correlation of light and electron microscopic findings. Cancer 35, 148–164 (1975)
Lukes, R.J., Butler, J.J., Hicks, E.B.: Natural history of Hodgkin's disease as related to its pathologic picture. Cancer 19, 317–344 (1966)
Lukes, R.J.: Criteria for involvement of lymph node, bone marrow, spleen and liver in Hodgkin's disease. Cancer Res. 31, 1755–1767 (1971)
Majno, G., Gabbiani, G., Hirschel, B.J., Ryan, G.B., Statkov, P.R.: Contraction of granulation tissue in vitro. Similarity to smooth muscle. Science 173, 548–555 (1971)
Millett, Y.L., Bennett, M.H., Jelliffee, A.M., Farrer-Brown, G.: Nodular sclerotic lymphosarcoma. A further review. Br. J. Cancer 23, 683–692 (1970)
Naeim, F., Waisman, J., Coulson, W.F.: Hodgkin's disease: The significance of vascular invasion. Cancer 34, 655–662 (1974)
Neiman, R.S., Rosen, P.J., Lukes, RJ.: Lymphocyte-depletion Hodgkin's disease. A clinicopathologic entity. N. Engl. J. Med. 288, 751–754 (1973)
Rosas-Uribe, A., Rappaport, H.: Malignant lymphoma, histiocytic type with sclerosis (Sclerosing reticulum cell sarcoma). Cancer 29, 946–953 (1972)
Rudolph, R., Guber, S., Suzuki, M., Woodward, M.: The life cycle of the myofibroblast. Surg. Gynecol. Obstet. 145, 389–394 (1977)
Seemayer, T.A., Schürch, W., Lagacé, R., Tremblay, G.: Myofibroblasts in the stroma of invasive and metastatic carcinoma. Am. J. Surg. Pathol. (in press)
Strum, S.B., Rappaport, H.: Hodgkin's disease in the first decade of life. Pediatrics 46, 748–759 (1970)
Strum, S.B., Rappaport, H.: Interrelations of the histologic types of Hodgkin's disease. Arch. Path. 91, 127–134 (1971)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Seemayer, T.A., Lagacé, R. & Schürch, W. On the pathogenesis of sclerosis and nodularity in nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's Disease. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 385, 283–291 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00432538
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00432538