Differentiation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia from Hodgkin's disease using immunologic marker studies

Four consecutive lymph node biopsies from one patient showed features typical of lymphocyte-pre-dominant Hodgkin's disease. When the patient developed lymphocytosis of the peripheral blood and a staging bone marrow biopsy was found to have nodular lymphoid infiltrates atypical for Hodgkin's disease, the fourth node biopsy was performed in order to perform immunologic marker studies. A monoclonal cell population was identified and the lymph nodes were interpreted as chronic lymphocytic leukemia mimicking lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's disease. The diagnostic usefulness of immunologic marker studies stressed.