Late recurrence of Hodgkin's disease after partial splenectomy

The use of laparotomy and splenectomy for staging purposes in patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) gained popularity in the early 1970s. Accurate staging and more effective treatment regimens, including combined chemotherapy and irradiation, have resulted in improved patient survival rates. Similarly, an increased number of late complications have been reported, including the development of thyroid disease, second malignancies, and septic complications related to splenectomy. Partial splenectomy has been proposed as one method of preventing overwhelming postsplenectomy sepsis. The authors present a case of recurrence of HD, which occurred in the splenic remnant 13 years after the initial treatment. This case demonstrates that the spleen is a potential for recurrent intraabdominal Hodgkin's disease after partial splenectomy; thus, the use of partial splenectomy for HD should be discouraged.