Question

A 55-year-old female was admitted to the infectious disease wing of the hospital after having been referred by her personal physician due to lymphadenitis in the neck, armpit, and groin regions. The doctor’s initial diagnosis was lymphadenopathy and she was concerned about a possible lymphoma which might include Hodgkin’s disease. Splenomegaly was observed. The patient was administered antibiotic therapy however after two weeks the symptoms failed to lessen. The patient had developed an immunodeficiency. Immunotherapy was begun and a complete recovery resulted after three months of treatment.

1. What is lymphadenitis?

2. Why was the doctor concerned about a lymphoma?

3. How could splenomegaly be observed?

4. What is an immunodeficiency?

5. What other treatment does immunotherapy include besides antibody treatments?

Answer 1

1. Lymphadenitis (swollen lymph nodes) occur when immune system glands enlarge in response to a bacterial or viral infection.

2. The earliest signs of lymphoma are swollen lymph nodes in the neck, underarms or groin. A diagnosis of lymphadenitis may indicate cancer.

3. Splenomegaly can be observed just by palpation of the left side of the abdominal area but this becomes difficult in patients who are overweight or morbidly obese.

4. Immunodeficiency is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious disease and cancer is compromised or entirely absent.

5. Apart from antibody treatments, immunotherapy include the following:

There are several types of immunotherapy, including:

• Non-specific immunotherapies

• Oncolytic virus therapy

• T-cell therapy

• Cancer vaccines