[Computerized tomography in the staging and the follow-up of Hodgkin's lymphoma of the thorax]

Radiol Med. 1990 Dec;80(6):859-64.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

As yet, the role of Computed Tomography (CT) as a routine imaging technique in the staging and follow-up of thoracic Hodgkin's disease has not been assessed. The authors report the results obtained in 120 patients affected with thoracic Hodgkin's disease, staged and followed by means of chest X-rays and CT. CT better identified intrathoracic involvement of mediastinal nodes, of lung parenchyma, of pleura, and of pericardial and chest walls in 54/120 patients (45%), with staging modifications in 18 (15%) of them only. Treatment was changed only in 12 patients (10%) where radiation therapy had been planned. The clinical value of the additional information yielded by CT was especially evident in the follow-up: CT allowed the correct evaluation of persistent/recurrent disease in 51/117 patients (43.5%), a figure high enough to suggest the use of CT in the routine follow-up of patients affected with thoracic Hodgkin's disease.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Hodgkin Disease / diagnostic imaging*
  • Hodgkin Disease / pathology*
  • Hodgkin Disease / therapy
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Thoracic Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Thoracic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Thoracic Neoplasms / therapy
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*