The Occurrence of Lymphoma in Patients with Long-standing Hyperthyroidism

1) Six patients have been presented who, subsequent to long-standinghyperthyroidism, developed a lymphoma (one lymphoblastic lymphosarcoma,one Hodgkin’s disease, one giant follicular lymphoma, and three lymphocyticlymphosarcoma or leukemia).

2) Experimental evidence suggests that hyperthyroidism stimulates andhypothyroidism inhibits lymphoid structures, and hyperthyroidism promotestumor growth in animals. The mechanism of this action is not clear.

3) Three additional cases of hyperthyroidism followed by the developmentof a lymphoma were found in the literature.

4) It is suggested that prolonged hyperthyroidism may be a contributoryfactor in the development of lymphomas or allied disorders in man.

Submitted on July 30, 1962 Accepted on October 17, 1962