title: The staging of Hodgkin's disease.
abstract: The approach to staging patients with Hodgkin's disease has changed over the last 20 years. Although careful physical examination, chest radiograph, and bipedal lymph-angiogram remain the mainstays of the clinical evaluation, computed tomography (CT) scanning of the chest and abdomen is rapidly gaining acceptance as a useful ancillary procedure. In addition, the initial enthusiasm for the staging laparotomy and splenectomy as a necessary part of the staging evaluation is now coming into question. Recent studies raise legitimate concerns about this procedure's overall impact upon survival as well as the potential long-term consequences of splenectomy. Select situations do exist, however, where a staging laparotomy remains appropriate. An approach to the staging of newly diagnosed Hodgkin's disease is suggested and supported by recent studies of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Moormeier
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Golomb
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000473:pathology; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000379:methods; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008482:Mediastinum / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology