Lymphoma: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

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Lymphoma: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

A 42-year-old female with a history of obesity presents to the hospital due to persistent fevers, 30-pound weight loss, and night sweats. Her physical exam is remarkable for some palpable lymph nodes. Her lymphadenopathy is thought to be due to an infection and she is started on empiric antibiotics. An extensive infectious workup is done, but everything comes back negative. Which of the following is the best diagnostic tool that could aid in the most likely diagnosis?

A. CT abdomen/pelvis
B. Lymph node biopsy
C. Lumbar puncture
D. Joint fluid drainage
E. Thoracentesis with pleural fluid analysis

Answer and topic summary

The answer is B. Lymph node biopsy

Lymphoma is a heterogeneous group of malignant tumors of lymphocytes. There are actually more than 90 subtypes – although most refer to 2 main groups: non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin. Risk factors include tobacco abuse, obesity, family history or genetics, and certain autoimmune diseases. It usually presents in patients as painless adenopathy, along with possibly systemic symptoms (fever, weight loss, night sweats, pruritus, etc). Diagnosis is made with a lymph node biopsy. Chemotherapy treatment plans depend on the type of lymphoma. It’s important that these patients stay up to date on their vaccinations, as well as household contacts.

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Smarty PANCE Content Blueprint Review:

Covered under ⇒ PANCE Blueprint Hematology ⇒ Neoplasms, premalignancies, and malignancies  ⇒ Lymphoma

Also covered on the PAEA EOR topic blueprint for Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Emergency Medicine

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