Definition:
Castleman's disease is considered an uncommon illness affecting the lymph nodes and the body's immune-cell structures. The disease is categorized as lymphoproliferative disorder; meaning it involves overgrowth or proliferation of the lymphatic cells. While it's similar to lymphatic system cancers in many ways, Castleman's disease is non-cancerous. It has two types: Unicentric that involves one site of tissue growths, and Multicentric involving multiple sites of growths.
Diagnosis:
Castleman's disease can be diagnosed through several tests, although the unicentric type is frequently found incidentally. Tests that doctors can conduct to diagnose the disease include physical examination, imaging techniques, urine and blood tests, and lymph node biopsy.
Treatment:
Treatment will mainly depend on the disease type a patient has. The unicentric type is almost always treated with surgery, while the multicentric type requires more methodical therapies.
Symptoms and Signs:
The symptoms an individual will experience depend on the type of Castleman's disease they have. Every person with the disease develops one tumor or more in the body's lymph node tissue. Depending on the type, tumors can develop in areas of the chest, neck, or stomach, as well as experience weight loss, skin rash, fever, and enlarged spleen and liver.
Causes:
Physicians are still determining the disease's exact cause, but many believe that it is due to an infection of a virus called HHV8 or Human Herpes Virus 8. Another probable contributor might be a protein type produced by the immune cells known as IL-6.
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