Now Reading: Night sweats misdiagnosed as menopause led to lymphoma discovery
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Night sweats misdiagnosed as menopause led to lymphoma discovery
A woman whose drenching night sweats were initially attributed to menopause was later diagnosed with lymphoma, doctors at Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospital have reported. Dr Tushar Patil, HOD and Lead Consultant in…
A woman whose drenching night sweats were initially attributed to menopause was later diagnosed with lymphoma, doctors at Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospital have reported. Dr Tushar Patil, HOD and Lead Consultant in Medical Oncology, said the patient had no obvious lump or pain but woke up nearly every night with soaked clothes and bedsheets for over two months. Further evaluation revealed enlarged lymph nodes, and a biopsy confirmed lymphoma.
Severe, unexplained night sweats can be a symptom of lymphoma, especially when accompanied by fever or unintentional weight loss. Known as B symptoms, they occur in some patients with Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Dr Patil explained that lymphoma cells can trigger inflammatory chemicals affecting the body's temperature regulation.
Doctors advise that persistent, drenching night sweats without an obvious cause should be checked, particularly if paired with weight loss, fever, swollen lymph nodes, or extreme fatigue. Diagnosis typically begins with a medical history and physical exam, followed by blood tests, imaging, and possibly a biopsy. Treatment depends on the lymphoma subtype and stage.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Lymphoma is among the more treatable cancers when caught early, with five-year survival rates for Hodgkin lymphoma exceeding 85% in India under proper care, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research. B symptoms such as night sweats are a key diagnostic clue, but many patients and even primary care doctors mistake them for infections or hormonal changes, delaying biopsy referrals by weeks. The absence of a palpable lump, as in this case, makes the diagnosis harder. The Sahyadri team's decision to investigate based solely on symptom severity is consistent with standard oncology protocols that urge imaging or biopsy when B symptoms persist beyond two weeks without an alternative explanation. The next step for this patient will be regular monitoring of response to chemotherapy or targeted therapy, depending on the lymphoma subtype identified.
Source: timesnownews.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
