What is (are) Castleman disease ?
Castleman disease (CD) is a rare condition that affects the lymph nodes and related tissues. There are two main forms: unicentric CD and multicentric CD. Unicentric CD is a "localized" condition that is generally confined to a single set of lymph nodes, while multicentric CD is a "systemic" disease that affects multiple sets of lymph nodes and other tissues throughout the body. The exact underlying cause of CD is currently unknown; however, it is thought to occur sporadically in people with no family history of the condition. Treatment varies based on the form of the condition, the severity of symptoms and whether or not the affected person also has an HIV and/or human herpes virus type 8 (HHV-8) infection. For more specific information about each form of CD, please visit GARD's unicentric Castleman disease and multicentric Castleman disease pages.