On the pathogenesis of sclerosis and nodularity in nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease

Ten cases of nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease involving lymph nodes were studied by electron microscopy to determine the ultrastructural composition of the nodule-stromal interphase and the collagenized regions. In addition to a few lymphocytes, rare eosinophils and neutrophils, abundant filamentous and granular electron dense material, collagen fibers and myofibroblasts were observed in all instances. Since myofibroblasts possess contractile and synthetic properties, it is likely they contribute to the retraction and sclerosis which together represent one of the morphologic hallmarks of the disease. The dense fibrosis and contractile state of such tissue may constitute a beneficial host response to contain and limit local and vascular invasion by the neoplastic cellular population, thus contributing to the relative benignity of this form of Hodgkin's disease.