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Axillary swelling and a reduced general condition in a middle-aged man

Abstract

Background A 48-year-old man presented to his GP with an indolent swelling in his left axillary region. He also complained of a cough, a feeling of pressure in his chest, general poor health, and had increasingly suffered from night-time sweating and fever. Physical examination and an ultrasound revealed an enlarged lymph node of almost 4 cm in the left axillary region and several smaller lymph nodes of 1.5–2.0 cm in the left cervical region. Laboratory tests were unremarkable, except for an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Investigations Excisional biopsy, radiography, ultrasound, CT scan, bone marrow biopsy, radionuclide imaging, echocardiography and lung function tests.

Diagnosis Early-stage unfavorable (intermediate) lymphocyte-rich classical Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Management Chemotherapy (treatment with doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine) and involved-field radiotherapy.

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Correspondence to Beate Klimm.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Klimm, B., Engert, A. & Diehl, V. Axillary swelling and a reduced general condition in a middle-aged man. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 1, 51–54 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncponc0024

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