In the case under consideration, the young man discovered a painless lump on his neck and sought help from medical personnel. He also feels constant fatigue and has a history of tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and mononucleosis. Fatigue and lump without pain give reason to suspect Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) (Mayo Clinic, 2022). Men aged 20 to 40 are at risk for this disease (Mayo Clinic, 2022). Moreover, various researchers suspect tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy contribute to HL development, although debate on the issues continues (Holló, 2021). At the same time, mononucleosis caused by Epstein-Barr infection is an influential prerequisite for HL (Murray & Young, 2019). The man does not report other symptoms, but the manifestations of the disease can also include unintentional weight loss, fever, night sweating, severe itching, and the appearance of pain in the lump after drinking alcohol (Mayo Clinic, 2022). The man in the case needs an additional examination for diagnosis.
Before establishing an accurate diagnosis, specialists may consider other possibilities. Similar lumps may arise from cytomegalovirus, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, toxoplasmosis, infectious mononucleosis, sarcoidosis, lung cancer, tuberculosis, or leukemia (Martin & Leonard, 2022). To find the abnormality, specialists need to make a positron emission tomography or computer tomography scan, which should confirm the node enlargement (Martin & Leonard, 2022). The next step is a biopsy, which will show Reed-Sternberg cells in case of HL (Martin & Leonard, 2022). Additional tests that may detect anomalies but are not diagnostic include kidney and liver function tests and a complete blood count (Martin & Leonard, 2022). In the case of HL, test results can show polymorphonuclear leukocytosis, thrombocytosis, eosinophilia, or anemia (Martin & Leonard, 2022). Thus, the man in the case needs to undergo the indicated tests to confirm HL.
References
Holló, G. (2021). Tonsillectomy and the incidence of various types of cancer. Immunologic Research, 69(6), 467-470.
Martin, P., & Leonard, J. P. (2022). Hodgkin lymphoma. MSD Manual. Web.
Mayo Clinic. (2022). Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Hodgkin’s disease). Web.
Murray, P. G., & Young, L. S. (2019). An etiological role for the Epstein-Barr virus in the pathogenesis of classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Blood, The Journal of the American Society of Hematology, 134(7), 591-596.