Primary pulmonary Hodgkin's lymphoma coexisting with extreme erythrocyte sedimentation rate

The paper aims to present the case of an asymptomatic 22-year-old man who was referred to the hematologist by laboratory experts primarily due to the extreme elevation of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate with a value of 197 mm/h. Additionally, moderate changes in laboratory parameters such as hemoglobin, leukocytes, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and beta-2-microglobulin were recorded. Upon extensive clinical workup that included laboratory, imaging, and histological methods, a diagnosis of primary pulmonary Hodgkin's lymphoma (PPHL) was established. Primary pulmonary Hodgkin's lymphoma is a rare malignant lymphoproliferative disease that exclusively affects the lungs, and so far, only about 100 cases worldwide have been reported. The patient underwent first-line systemic chemotherapy with chest radiation and complete remission was obtained. Two years after completion of the treatment, a relapsed PPHL was clinically confirmed. Second-line chemotherapy followed by high-dose systemic chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation was indicated which led to complete remission and continues after 10 years from the initial diagnosis. The case demonstrates the important role of laboratory medicine experts who instantly suspected the possible laboratory-related tumor pathology and referred the patient to further hemato-oncological evaluation. This contributed to the timely diagnosis of PPHL, administration of appropriate treatment, and favorable outcome.