Blood eosinophilia in Hodgkin's disease. A follow-up of 25 cases in Venezuela.

Twenty-five patients with Hodgkin's disease and high eosinophil counts were observed for an average of 90 months. Fluctuations in the levels of eosinophils were important in the course of observation. No relation with stages, histologic type, or evolution was noticed. Steroid-containing regimens and severe premortem conditions seemed to lower the counts. Relapse-free survival was shorter in our 25 patients than in a control group of 50 patients with Hodgkin's disease and no eosinophilia who had approximately the same stage, histologic type, and treatment of disease. However, the overall survival was somewhat better for the eosinophilic patients with stages IIIB and IV (0.1 greater than P greater than 0.05).