Detection of Hodgkin lymphoma within ovarian tissue

Objective: To describe the detection of Hodgkin lymphoma within ovarian tissue taken at the time of harvest for cryopreservation.

Design: Case report. Setting: University-affiliated women's hospital. Patient(s): A 19-year-old woman diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Intervention(s): Laparoscopic removal of ovarian tissue for cryopreservation.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Histologic and immunohistochemical evaluation of ovarian tissue harvested for fertility preservation.

Result(s): Histologic and immunohistochemical identification of Hodgkin lymphoma within ovarian tissue harvested for cryopreservation.

Conclusion(s): Ovarian cryopreservation and subsequent autografting is a procedure still in an experimental phase that has yielded promising findings. This option is frequently offered to young women with neoplasms such as Hodgkin lymphoma. Although the risk of Hodgkin lymphoma infiltration into the ovary may be low, the identification of lymphoma in this case emphasizes the importance of histologic examination of ovarian tissue before freezing and indicates that there is a possibility of reintroducing tumor.