Granulomatous angiitis of the spinal cord associated with Hodgkin's disease.

Abstract

A 28-year-old man had a 5-month history of focal and generalized neurologic symptoms culminating in a thoracic myelopathy. Evaluation revealed granulomatous angiitis of the spinal cord in association with occult nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease. In previous reports, manifestations indicative of intracranial involvement have dominated the clinical presentation of granulomatous angiitis associated with Hodgkin's disease. Successful therapy for Hodgkin's disease may result in marked improvement of associated granulomatous angiitis, whereas the lack or failure of therapy results in a uniformly fatal outcome. Definitive antemortem diagnosis of granulomatous angiitis requires a biopsy of involved tissue. The cause of granulomatous angiitis, as well as the nature of its association with Hodgkin's disease, remains unexplained.