Chromosome complement of lymph node cells in Hodgkin's disease.

HPHE nature of Hodgkin's disease remains ob- -¦-scure. The gross anatomical appearance of the individual lesions is strongly suggestive of neoplasia, a view that is supported by the in-evitable advance of the untreated disease to a lethal termination. The difficulty with this in¬ terpretation lies in the identification of the pro¬ liferating cell. In early lesions the predominant cell is the lymphocyte and, indeed, the tissue may consist almost entirely of lymphocytes with only occasional Reed-Sternberg cells. In later lesions the cellular population usually changes with diminution and disappearance of lympho¬ cytes and proliferation of reticulum cells, many having the appearance of Reed-Sternberg cells. Proliferation of fibrous tissue may occur either early or late, and in some terminal cases the tumour may consist almost entirely of dense col¬ lagen. In some cases eosinophilic infiltration is prominent. Thus if