title: Microorganism-like structures in Hodgkin disease. Electron microscopical demonstration.
abstract: Ultrastructural examination of lymph nodes from patients with untreated Hodgkin disease showed unique spherical structures that were found extracellularly and within vacuoles of reticulum cells, macrophages, mononuclear cells, and occasional tumor cells. These spheroids varied in size and internal composition possibly in relation to developmental stages, and resembled mycoplasma morphologically and in cellular distribution. The spheroids were found predominantly in the neoplastic areas in lymph nodes of four out of nine patients with Hodgkin disease of the mixed cell variety, but were not seen in other types of Hodgkin disease or reticulum cell sarcoma. The structures were much more numerous in the lymph nodes from young children with Hodgkin disease. A lymph node of one child, disclosed numerous extracellular structures resembling viral type C particles in addition to mycoplasma-like spheroids. The results indicate that subclinical infections may occur in Hodgkin disease and contribute to the histopathologic manifestations of the disease.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008853:Microscopy; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D009174:Mycoplasma; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014780:Viruses