A staging system is used to describe how far a cancer has spread. Since Castleman disease (CD) is not a cancer, it isn't staged. Instead, CD is separated into 2 groups: localized/unicentric and multicentric/systemic. Localized/unicentric CD affects only a single lymph node (or lymph node group). The multicentric/systemic type affects 2 or more groups of lymph nodes in different parts of the body. It may also involve internal organs like the spleen or liver. Tests are done to see what lymph nodes and organs are affected, to know which type of CD that a patient has. These tests often include some of the imaging tests mentioned earlier, such as a chest x-ray and either a CT scan or MRI of the chest and abdomen.

Last Medical Review: 08/03/2009
Last Revised: 08/03/2009