The histopathology of Hodgkin's disease: Old questions and new problems.

Although the nature of Hodgkin's disease remains incompletely understood, there have been significant advances in our knowledge about this enigmatic disorder. Until now as before the diagnosis is predominantly based on the histopathological presence of Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg cells, which are the putative neoplastic cells, surrounded by a reactive infiltrate of bystander cells. The reciprocal influence of Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg cells and bystander cells, controlled via a complex cytokine network, appears to be crucial for several biological aspects of Hodgkin's disease and other non-monomorphous lymphoproliferative disorders. Moreover, Hodkin's disease seems to be no single entity, but a heterogenous group of malignant lymphomas. Although the borders between Hodgin's and Non-Hodgin's lymphomas are occasionally poor defined, clinical and therapeutic considerations require a distinction whenever possible.