Specific cutaneous involvement in Hodgkin's disease.

In Hodgkin's disease (HD) specific cutaneous involvement is rare. When it occurs, retrograde lymphatic spread, direct extension from the underlying lymph nodes, and hematogenous dissemination are the mechanisms usually implicated. Among 349 patients with HD diagnosed and followed-up at our institution from 1969 to 1990, three (0.85 per cent) presented specific cutaneous involvement. In two cases with mixed cellularity subtype, skin lesions displayed histologic features similar to those found in the lymph node. Treatment with combination chemotherapy resulted in rapid disappearance of the lesions in two patients but was ineffective in the third. Previous reports of cutaneous involvement in HD, its differential diagnosis, prognostic significance, and treatment are briefly reviewed.