THE ASSOCIATION between alcohol-induced pain and Hodgkin's disease was first noted by Hoster1 in 1950. Several series2-7 have confirmed this association; however, pruritus, paresthesia, cough, and general malaise have also been reported.3 Patients with other malignant5 and nonmalignant conditions5,6 have been described to have alcohol-induced pain. We examined a patient whose complaint of alcohol-induced pain in the labia majora led to the diagnosis of recurrent Hodgkin's disease.
Report of a Case
A 34-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of genital pain. Eight years before admission, an intermittent pain in the right hip developed, which characteristically was induced by the ingestion of alcohol, even in small quantities. She had anterior cervical lymphadenopathy, and a biopsy specimen demonstrated nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease. Lymphangiogram demonstrated intra-abdominal lymph node enlargement, and bone roentgenogram findings were consistent with findings of Hodgkin's disease in the right side of the