Hodgkin's disease primarily involving the oropharynx: case report and review of the literature.

We report a rare case of Hodgkin's disease primarily involving the oropharyngeal region. The patient presented with stage IIEA disease with a favorable response to treatment. Our literature search revealed that this disease affected rarely the lymphoid tissues of Waldeyer's ring. In this atypical location, tonsil and nasopharynx represent the most frequently involved sites. The involvement of the posterior wall of the oropharynx by Hodgkin's disease has been reported only once so far. When Waldeyer's ring is involved, the disease is usually localized, with occasional involvement of cervical lymph nodes. In this location, mixed cellularity is the most frequent histologic subtype and the Epstein-Barr virus is found in the majority of cases. This report is followed by a discussion on the clinical and pathological features, the implication of Epstein-Barrs virus and a literature review for Hodgkin's disease involving Waldeyer's ring.