[Cerebral toxoplasmosis complicating Hodgkin's disease in the adult. Light and electron-microscopic findings (author's transl)].

A male patient with a history of Hodgkin's disease of 11 years duration died at age 41 with signs of progressive cerebral involvement. The blastomatous process had been treated with X-rays, cytostatic agents, and corticosteroids. Autopsy revealed isolated lymphogranulomatous lesions in the chest walls and multiple foci of necrosis in the brain. In the latter, Toxoplasma could be detected by light and electron microscopy. The inflammatory response elicited by the protozoan parasite was strikingly slight. This indicated that the patient had had some immunologic impairment. Pathomorphologic and clinical aspects of cerebral toxoplasmosis in the adult are discussed. It is emphasized that patients suffering from chronic malignant disorders, particularly Hodgkin's disease, are preferentially affected by toxoplasmosis of the brain.