Lymphocyte-depleted Hodgkin's disease: diagnostic challenges by fine-needle aspiration.

The diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) can be problematic. A case of Hodgkin's disease, lymphocyte depleted subtype, sample by FNA biopsy is presented. We describe the cytomorphologic features present in this unusual subtype of Hodgkin's disease and discuss the differential diagnosis. Immunohistochemical and morphologic findings of a subsequent biopsy specimen supported the diagnosis. Although FNA is an increasingly used diagnostic modality to evaluate tumors including malignant lymphomas, Hodgkin's disease remains, as in this case, a difficult diagnosis by FNA.