Hodgkin's disease presenting as spontaneous splenic rupture.

Hodgkin's disease presenting as spontaneous splenic rupture is rare. A 46-year-old man with a 4-week history of fever, chills, and night sweats developed sudden abdominal pain and hypotension. At surgery, an enlarged, ruptured spleen with a nodular surface was found. Histologically, there was diffuse infiltration of the red pulp by mixed-cellularity Hodgkin's disease with patchy involvement of the white pulp. The histopathologic findings in the three previously reported cases are all dissimilar to this. These differences most likely represent rupture occurring at different stages of splenic infiltration by Hodgkin's disease.

Actinomycosis complicating Crohn's disease.

A case of secondary infection of Crohn's disease by Actinomyces is reported. Clinically, Crohn's disease and actinomycosis may be difficult to differentiate. The distinguishing histopathological features of secondary actinomycosis include multiloculated abscesses, sulfur granules, typical organisms seen with Gram stain, and rarely, necrotizing granulomata. As actinomycosis may be cured by surgery and/or antibiotics, a careful search for Actinomyces including anaerobic culture is recommended in Crohn's disease with abscess formation.

Post-mortem findings in Ugandans with Hodgkin's disease.

The necropsy findings in 36 Ugandan patients with Hodgkin's disease are presented. One third of the patients were under the age of 20 years. Most cases showed a lymphocyte depleted tumour pattern. Infective complications were extremely unusual, probably because of the short survival time. Treated patients showed a slightly higher incidence of infective disease than those untreated. Death was a result of widespread tumour which usually showed involvement of many lymph nodes and the liver and spleen.