Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma and diphenylhydantoin: Report of a case and review of the literature

A variety of lymphoma types have been reported in patients being treated with anticonvulsant therapy. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas have been reported twice as frequently as Hodgkin lymphomas. Association of nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) with dilantin therapy is extremely uncommon. We report a case of Hodgkin lymphoma in a 25-year-old male patient who had been treated with diphenylhydantoin sodium for generalized tonic clonic seizures for 15 years. Patient presented with left cervical and axillary lymphadenopathy persisting for more than 2 years after cessation of treatment with diphenylhydantoin. Computerized tomography scan of thorax, abdomen and pelvis revealed no significant lymphadenopathy or any organomegaly. Diagnosis of NLPHL was made on excision biopsy of the cervical lymph node. Although the association between diphenylhydantoin therapy and the development of immunosuppression and lymphoma is well-documented, the role of the drug in the etiology of these disorders is still controversial.