Definition:
Giant lymph node hyperplasia (also known as Castleman's disease or CD) is a rare, benign disease involving lymph nodes in different locations, predominantly in the mediastinum. This disorder is marked by non-cancerous growths (tumors) that may develop in the lymph node tissue at a single site or throughout the body. It involves hyperproliferation of certain B cells that typically produce cytokines.
Diagnosis:
The diagnosis of CD is based upon a thorough clinical evaluation that includes a detailed patient history, laboratory studies, and a variety of imaging techniques.
Treatment:
There is no standard therapy for Castleman's disease at the moment. The timing of diagnosis, with particular attention to the difficulty of determining the cause of B symptoms without a CT scan and lymph node biopsy, may impact dramatically on the prognosis and risk of death. Left untreated, this disease usually gets worse and becomes increasingly difficult and unresponsive to current treatment regimens.
Symptoms and Signs:
The most common 'B Symptoms' of of Castleman's disease are high fevers, anemia, weight loss, loss of appetite, and low white blood cell counts, which may to be due to the overproduction of interleukin 6. Symptomatically, therefore, this disease can be difficult to diagnose and even in the case of a lymph-node biopsy a conclusive diagnosis remains problematic.
Causes:
The exact cause of Castleman's Disease is not known, though some researchers speculate that increased production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) may be involved in the development of Castleman's Disease.
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giantlymphnodehyperplasia
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