Chromosome findings in effusions from patients with Hodgkin's disease

Effusion cells from six patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease were studied. Even though no Hodgkin or Reed-Sternberg cells could be identified cytologically in five of the six cases, striking chromosome anomalies of a clonal nature, including a number of recurrent marker chromosomes, were demonstrated in all effusions. It is concluded that the effusion cells with abnormal karyotypes were intimately related to the pathogenesis of Hodgkin's disease.