Diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease by bronchial brush biopsy.

Three cases of Hodgkin’s disease of the lung with involvement of the bronchial mucosa are reported. In one of them the initial diagnosis of Hodgkin’s disease was established by bronchial brush biopsy; in the two others the disease was known to exist elsewhere, but this procedure made it possible to establish pillmonary involvement unequivocally. In contrast to epithelial tumors, cytologic examination was negative in all three cases even though the diagnosis could be made without difficulty from examination of histologic sections. Involvement of the bronchial mucosa in pulmonary Hodgkin’s disease occurs by direct extension of the disease from bronchial lymph nodes.