The ultrastructural heterogeneity of the Reed-Sternberg cell and its resemblance to monocyte-macrophage differentiation in vivo.

Hodgkin's disease is a malignant neoplasm that shares many histologic features with granulomatous diseases. We have examined 11 cases of Hodgkin's disease, representing the spectrum of histologic types, using transmission electron microscopy and have compared the morphology of Reed-Sternberg cells to that of the developmental stages described for monocyte-macrophage differentiation in vivo. Ultrastructurally, a close parallelism exists between the cells that typify granulomatous inflammation and Reed-Sternberg cells. It is our contention that the heterogeniety among Reed-Sternberg cells in all types of Hodgkin's disease parallels the diversity of the monocyte-macrophage system.