Development of Hodgkin's disease in the course of liver cirrhosis and impaired monocyte function.

The monocyte function, as measured by phagocytosis and killing of Candida albicans and Candida pseudotropicalis by peripheral blood monocytes, was found impaired in a patient with cirrhosis of the liver on two separate determinations before the occurrence of bleeding from oesophageal varices. Unexpectedly, Hodgkin's disease was diagnosed in enlarged abdominal lymph nodes found on the occasion of an emergency portocaval shunt operation.