Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Case 5-2015. A 69-year-old woman with recurrent skin lesions after treatment for lymphoma

CD30+ Lymphoproliferative Disorders of the Skin

Primary cutaneous CD30⁺ lymphoproliferative disorders encompass lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP), primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (pcALCL), and indeterminate cases. LyP is a benign disorder characterized by recurrent crops of red or violaceous papulonodules. Patients with LyP are at an increased risk of a secondary malignancy. pcALCL is characterized by a solitary red to violaceous nodule or tumor larger than 20 mm. LyP is benign, is limited to the skin, and self-resolves, with a 5-year survival rate of 100%; pcALCL is limited to the skin and responsive to directed therapies, with a 5-year survival rate of over 95%. Aggressive chemotherapeutic regimens should be avoided.