Possible Lymphoma - Lymphomas Message Board

rogerst · 03-18-2005, 01:20 PM

My Consultant has recently ordered a CT scan of my abdomen following my complaints of sweats nausea and fatigue to rule out Lymphoma. The results showed an enlarged spleen but no specific lymph nodes and she says my ESR levels are raised to 50. She is quite rude and hard to understand. She is referring me to a Haemotoligst in another hospital but I confused as to whether I have this condition or not. Shes says it is very unusual to have lymphoma without enlarged nodes but I have read that an enlarged spleen is one of the symptoms. She is dismissing my concerns but I really need some information because I'm in bits. She also told me that a bone marrow biopsy would only be carried out if the haemotoligist thinks I 'warrent'. it. Please help me.

Marimac · 03-18-2005, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogerst

My Consultant has recently ordered a CT scan of my abdomen following my complaints of sweats nausea and fatigue to rule out Lymphoma. The results showed an enlarged spleen but no specific lymph nodes and she says my ESR levels are raised to 50. She is quite rude and hard to understand. She is referring me to a Haemotoligst in another hospital but I confused as to whether I have this condition or not. Shes says it is very unusual to have lymphoma without enlarged nodes but I have read that an enlarged spleen is one of the symptoms. She is dismissing my concerns but I really need some information because I'm in bits. She also told me that a bone marrow biopsy would only be carried out if the haemotoligist thinks I 'warrent'. it. Please help me.

The doctor sounds busy rather than rude. Also the doctor is not sure what is going on and so can not tell you. The haemetologist will check your symptoms and will only recommend a bone marrow biopsy if the other symptoms indicate that it is necessary for you to experience that kind of pain. Many types of lymphoma if they exist, do not need treatment for a long time and there is no need to do a bone marrow biopsy if it is not going to lead to treatment recommendations. If I were you, I would just relax about it until you know more. The treatments are no picnic, and an enlarged spleen can be dealt with by removing it if it is the problem. You would not need a bone marrow biopsy to get rid of the spleen. So just relax until you see the Haematologist.

rogerst · 03-18-2005, 05:42 PM

Thank you very much for this, but can I ask you, is it possible to have a form of lymphoma that is only evident in the spleen? I have no enlarged lymph nodes in chest, abdomen or pelvis picked up by the CT scans. I have many of the symptoms described and have been ill for over a year but the only thing found was an enlarged spleen and raised ESR levels. I also have several hard lumps in my abdomen just under the skin which my consultant has dismissed. I'm very confused by conflicting reports because I said before my consultant has told me it is very rare to have lymphoma without raised lymph nodes but still suspects it? I'm sorry to be a pain but I only found out today

linacre · 03-18-2005, 11:31 PM

It is possible to have lymphoma without enlarged lymph nodes, although this is rare. Some lymphomas can start in non-lymphoid tissue, although usually when it is found in other organs it is the result of metastasis from another site. There is also a type of lymphoma that starts in the spleen.

It should be remembered that the spleen is part of the lymph system, and that for staging purposes - at least according to the Ann Arbor scale - it is treated as just another lymph node (in other words, lymphoma that is found in the spleen is not considered extra-nodal).

But because the spleen is part of the lymphatic system, it can also swell due to infection (the Epstein-Barr virus is one condition that can cause this). A swollen spleen is a common clinical finding in people with both acute and chronic diseases, and in some cases it has been observed in otherwise healthy individuals.

rogerst · 03-19-2005, 12:26 AM

Thank you so much Linacre!