Hodgkin lymphoma in patients with HIV infection

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma characterized by Reed-Sternberg cells and often associated with systemic symptoms. While not considered an AIDS-defining malignancy, it is one of the more common non-AIDS-defining cancers. Most cases of HIV-associated HD are associated with Epstein-Barr virus. HD in persons infected with HIV tends to involve relatively unfavorable subtypes (mixed cellularity and lymphocyte), to be relatively more aggressive, and to more frequently exhibit extranodal involvement. Many of the cases of HIV-associated HD occur in patients with only moderate immunosuppression. Also, unlike most AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the incidence of HIV-associated HD has not decreased with the widespread use of HAART. In the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) the same regimens employed in HIV-negative patients with HL can be used in HIV setting with similar results.