The cases of two male under five-year-olds diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting as lymphadenopathy in evolution for some months and treated in our hospital are reported. Immunohistopathological findings of the tumors proved the existence of Hodgkin's lymphoma nodular sclerosis and positive Epstein-Barr virus in tumoral material in both cases. After 13 months of complete remission one of the patients relapsed and presented aggressive disease. Laboratorial analyses of the tumor showed the same characteristics as the initial disease including positive Epstein-Barr virus. Early and intense exposure to Epstein-Barr virus may increase the risk related to the very early development of the disease and the unexpected evolution may be connected to the association of the histological subtype and the positive Epstein-Barr virus.
Hodgkin's lymphoma; Epstein Barr virus; children