Clinical and pathologic features were assessed in a group of 48 patients with Hodgkin's disease who developed recurrences in treated sites. The histopathologic findings in the initial diagnostic lymph node biopsies were compared with those in the recurrences. Recurrences showed a more pleomorphic appearance and were more difficult to subclassify than the initial diagnostic biopsies. In addition, no histologic features were found in the recurrences that could identify those patients who later died of Hodgkin's disease versus those those who were successfully re-treated.