Mycosis fungoides: a dermatological masquerader

Updated Classification of Cutaneous Lymphoma

The International Consensus Classification (ICC) of myeloid and lymphoid neoplasms follows the precedent set in the Revised European-American lymphoma classification for modern lymphoma classifications by defining specific diseases on the basis of all the available morphologic, immunophenotypic, genetic, and clinical findings. Primary cutaneous lymphomas exhibit a broad range of clinical behavior ranging from lesions which spontaneously regress to those which run an aggressive, often fatal course. Accurate separation of entities is therefore essential for prognostication and to ensure appropriate treatment is administered. However, despite marked differences in clinical course, many subtypes of primary cutaneous lymphoma exhibit remarkably similar, often overlapping, and sometimes indistinguishable pathologic features. While molecular analysis has furthered our understanding of some of these disease entities, it does not yet facilitate robust distinction. Thus, clinical correlation retains a central role in both the diagnosis and classification of primary cutaneous lymphoma. This review aims to draw attention to problem areas in differential diagnosis and hopefully offer some practical suggestions for resolving difficult cases. It will also highlight recent advances in the field and discuss how they reinforce the current classification system and how they might impact of future classifications and treatment strategies.

Preliminary assessment of the accuracy of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma diagnosis through deep sequencing of the TRG gene

BACKGROUND

The diagnostic challenges in early mycosis fungoides (MF) and other cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) persist despite advancements in molecular methods.

OBJECTIVES

To provide a preliminary assessment of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in analysing TRG (T-cell receptor gamma locus) sequences for distinguishing CTCLs from benign inflammatory skin disorders.

METHODS

NGS was used to assess TRG sequences in skin samples from clinicopathologically proven CTCLs and benign inflammatory skin disorders.

RESULTS

Our study analysed skin samples from a total of 36 participants, comprising 22 cases of CTCL, including 14 MF and 8 other CTCLs, alongside 14 cases of benign inflammatory skin disorders. According to LymphoTrack® criteria, monoclonality was detected in 16 (73%) of the 22 patients with CTCL. Specifically, in cases of MF, 10 of 14 (71%) were identified as monoclonal, with all 4 non-monoclonal cases being in the patch stage. For the other cases of CTCL, six of eight displayed monoclonality. Among the 22 patients with CTCL, 10 (45%) had multiple biopsies, with 8 (36%) displaying the same dominant clone across different sites. Among the 14 benign cases, only the case of erythrodermic psoriasis exhibited monoclonality. Our decision tree analysis suggests that a high frequency of the most abundant clone, its ratio to the third most abundant clone and TRG VγI segment usage are effective markers that can help in the diagnosis of CTCL.

CONCLUSIONS

A combination of the clone frequencies and TRG V segment usage may enhance diagnosis of MF and other CTCLs, helping to differentiate them from benign conditions. However, molecular diagnosis for patch-stage MF remains challenging.

"Missed" Diagnosis of Mycosis Fungoides: A Case Report

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common subtype of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma characterized by malignant proliferation of T cells with epidermotropism in the skin. MF has an indolent course, presents as erythematous scaly patches or plaques, and may progress to generalized erythroderma, cutaneous tumors, or extracutaneous invasion. MF is often misdiagnosed at early stages due to nonspecific clinical findings. Patients with MF are at high risk for developing secondary malignancies, including hematological malignancies. We hereby report a case of MF misdiagnosed and associated with underlying diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Identification of Skin Lesions by Snapshot Hyperspectral Imaging

This study pioneers the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in the diagnosis of skin cancer lesions, particularly focusing on Mycosis fungoides (MF) and its differentiation from psoriasis (PsO) and atopic dermatitis (AD). By utilizing a comprehensive dataset of 1659 skin images, including cases of MF, PsO, AD, and normal skin, a novel multi-frame AI algorithm was used for computer-aided diagnosis. The automatic segmentation and classification of skin lesions were further explored using advanced techniques, such as U-Net Attention models and XGBoost algorithms, transforming images from the color space to the spectral domain. The potential of AI and HSI in dermatological diagnostics was underscored, offering a noninvasive, efficient, and accurate alternative to traditional methods. The findings are particularly crucial for early-stage invasive lesion detection in MF, showcasing the model's robust performance in segmenting and classifying lesions and its superior predictive accuracy validated through k-fold cross-validation. The model attained its optimal performance with a k-fold cross-validation value of 7, achieving a sensitivity of 90.72%, a specificity of 96.76%, an F1-score of 90.08%, and an ROC-AUC of 0.9351. This study marks a substantial advancement in dermatological diagnostics, thereby contributing significantly to the early and precise identification of skin malignancies and inflammatory conditions.

Epidemiology and prognostic factors of 114 patients with mycosis fungoides in a Moroccan cohort: a 29-year review

Limited data regarding survival of Moroccan patients with mycosis fungoides (MF). To evaluate the clinical profile and long-term outcomes of these patients. A retrospective review of 114 MF cases diagnosed from 1993 to 2022 who were followed up for more than 6 months of diagnosis was performed. Of 114 patients, 71.9% were male and the median age at diagnosis was 56 years. Approximately 64 and 36% of the patients had an early stage and advanced stage, respectively. Median follow-up duration was 56 months, and median duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 31 months. Various subtypes were observed, including mycosis fungoides folliculotropic (12.3%), poikilodermatous (11.4%), and palmaris et plantaris MF (5.3%). The 10-year overall survival was 89% in early-stage patients and 48.8% in advanced-stage patients. Complete response to treatment occurred in 45.6%, stable disease in 16.7% and disease progression in 7.9% of patients. Older age of > 60 years, higher T-stage (T3/T4) and advanced-stage MF were statistically significant in predicting poorer outcomes in MF. Despite delay in diagnosis, most cases of MF in Morocco were diagnosed in early stages. We observed a high proportion of classic MF and favorable prognosis.

The Burden of Skin Cancers in Saudi Arabia Through 2011-2022

Introduction Skin cancers are classified into melanoma and non-melanoma or keratinocyte cancers. No recent data are found about the epidemiology of skin cancers in Saudi Arabia. The current study aims to determine the burden of skin cancer in the last 11 years from 2011 to 2022. Methods Patients who were diagnosed with any type of skin cancer were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis was conducted based on histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Different variables like age, type of cancer, type of lesions, and treatment approach used were measured. Results A total of 91 patients were diagnosed with skin cancers during the study period. The head and neck were the most common sites for skin cancers. Only 4/91 cases reported invasive melanoma. Both squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (34/91) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (28/91) were found to be the most reported skin cancers. Other cancers including mycosis fungoides (MF) (10/91), Kaposi's sarcoma (6/91), and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) (5/91) were also detected. The rest of the detected tumors were rarely detected. Aggressive CD4+/CD4+/CD8+ MF was more prevalent than CD3+/CD4+/CD8- MF cancer cases. CD34+ /S100- DFSP cancers were evident in most of the DFSP cases. Human herpes virus 8 was detected in all Kaposi's sarcoma cases and all of them were HIV-confirmed cases. Surgical treatment was the most frequently used approach to treat skin cancers, followed by phototherapy (9.9%), surgical/radiotherapy (5.5%), surgical/chemotherapy (4.4%), chemotherapy (3.3%), and then chemoradiotherapy immunotherapy (1.1%). Conclusion The incidences of SCC and BCC are relatively high in comparison to other types of skin cancers with the surgical intervention being most frequently used.

Multidisciplinary Approach to the Diagnosis and Therapy of Mycosis Fungoides

Mycosis fungoides is the most common primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, characterized by skin-homing CD4+ T cells derivation, indolent course, and low-grade of malignancy. Mycosis fungoides's classic type typically onsets with cutaneous erythematous patches, plaque, and tumor. In WHO-EORTC classification, folliculotropic mycosis fungoides, pagetoid reticulosis, and granulomatous slack skin are recognized as distinct variants of mycosis fungoides, because of their clinical and histological features, behavior, and /or prognosis. Mycosis fungoides often shows diagnostic difficulties, due to its absence of specific features and lesional polymorphism. A patient's treatment requires staging. In about 10% of cases, mycosis fungoides can progress to lymph nodes and internal organs. Prognosis is poor at advanced stage and management needs a multidisciplinary team approach. Advanced stage disease including tumors, erythroderma, and nodal, visceral, or blood involvement needs skin directed therapy associated with systemic drugs. Skin directed therapy includes steroids, nitrogen mustard, bexarotene gel, phototherapy UVB, and photochemiotherapy, i.e., total skin electron radiotherapy. Systemic therapies include retinoids, bexarotene, interferon, histone deacetylase inhibitors, photopheresis, targeted immunotherapy, and cytotoxic chemotherapy. Complexity of mycosis fungoides associated with long-term chronic evolution and multiple therapy based on disease stage need a multidisciplinary team approach to be treated.

The Role of the Immune Phenotype in Tumor Progression and Prognosis of Patients with Mycosis Fungoides: A Quantitative Immunohistology Whole Slide Approach

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common type of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, characterized by mature, skin-tropic CD4+ T-helper cells. In order to study the immune tumor microenvironment in MF patients, we performed immunohistochemical stains on MF biopsies, digitized whole-slide tissue sections, and performed quantitative analysis of the different immune cell subsets to correlate tissue parameters with the clinical data of patients, such as progression-free survival or overall survival.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Overall, 35 patients who were treated between 2009 and 2019 and for whom one or more paraffin tissue blocks were available have been included in the present study (58 tissue specimens in total). Conventional immunohistochemistry stains for CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20 and CD30 were used for the analysis of the immune phenotype, and quantitative analysis was performed using QuPath as a quantitative digital pathology tool for bioimage analysis of whole slides.

RESULTS

Analysis of tissue parameters for prognostic significance revealed that patients with a stronger infiltration by CD8+ lymphocytes within the tumor cell compartment had a higher risk of disease progression (p = 0.031) and showed a shorter progress-free survival (p = 0.038). Furthermore, a significant association of the percentage of CD30+ cells (median: 7.8%) with the risk of disease progression (p = 0.023) and progression-free survival (p = 0.023) was found. In relation to the clinical features of our patient cohort, a higher risk of disease progression (p = 0.015) and a shorter progression-free survival (p = 0.032) for older patients (>61 years) were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated the prognostic relevance of large-cell transformation in mycosis fungoides and its strong association with the presence of CD30+ lymphocytes. Unlike previous reports, our study suggests an adverse prognostic role for CD8+ T cells in patients with mycosis fungoides. Moreover, our data indicate that the immune phenotype within the tumor microenvironment shows strong temporal heterogeneity and is altered in the course of tumor progression.

A Comprehensive Update of the Atypical, Rare and Mimicking Presentations of Mycosis Fungoides

Introduction

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most frequent subtype of primary cutaneous T cell lymphomas (pCTCL). The diagnosis may be particularly difficult in the early stages as well as in atypical and rare clinical presentations. Furthermore, MF may simulate a large variety of common dermatologic disorders and patterns, both histopathologically and clinically.

Methods

A literature search was performed to provide a comprehensive update on the rare and atypical MF manifestations as well as the dermatoses and dermatological patterns that could be imitated by MF.

Results

A total of 114 publications were found describing a series of different dermatoses and dermatological patterns mimicked by MF, as well as some particular localizations of MF lesions and dermatoses that occur in preexisting MF lesions.

Conclusions

The number of dermatoses that can be imitated by MF is ever-increasing. Patients with common dermatologic conditions that prove to be treatment refractory should be biopsied without delay, and sequentially as necessary, to prevent delay in diagnosis and progression of disease. Clinicopathologic correlation is the best way of diagnosis.

Primary Localized Cutaneous Amyloidosis of Keratinocyte Origin: An Update with Emphasis on Atypical Clinical Variants

Amyloid is a protein derived from at least 20 different substances. Once misfolded, it results in a group of cutaneous and systemic conditions. Primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis of keratinocyte origin is a very common subtype that can manifest either as lichen or macular amyloidosis, lacking systemic involvement. Lichen amyloidosis often presents as multiple hyperpigmented papules on the lower extremities whereas macular amyloidosis is classically characterized by dark brown rippled macules on the interscapular area. Review of the literature reveals that in addition to the classical presentation of primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis there exists a plethora of various manifestations that can be grouped into either geographic or morphologic categories. This review provides clinicians with the intimate knowledge of these presentations and summarizes the available treatment modalities.

Clinical characteristics and long-term outcome of 223 patients with mycosis fungoides at a single tertiary center in Korea: A 29-year review

BACKGROUND

Data regarding Asian patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) are limited.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the clinical profile and long-term outcomes of patients with MF in Korea.

METHODS

A retrospective review of 223 patients with MF who were followed up for more than 6 months or died of MF within 6 months of diagnosis was performed.

RESULTS

Approximately 96.4% and 3.6% of the patients had an early stage and advanced stage, respectively. The mean age at diagnosis was 44.8 years. The mean duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 47.0 months. Various subtypes were noted, including mycosis fungoides palmaris et plantaris (21.5%), folliculotropic (8.5%), pityriasis lichenoides-like (6.7%), ichthyosiform (4.0%), lichenoid purpura-like (2.7%), and hypopigmented (2.2%) MF. Juvenile patients accounted for 16.6%. The higher the skin T stage, the poorer the response to treatment. The 10-year overall survival was 96.8% in early-stage patients and 25.0% in advanced-stage patients. General prognosis was favorable, while recurrence and subtype switching were seen in 29.4% and 2.7% of patients, respectively.

LIMITATIONS

Our patients may not represent all Korean patients with MF.

CONCLUSION

MF in Korea has a high proportion of variants, a younger age at onset, and favorable prognosis. A high index of suspicion and skin biopsy are needed for early diagnosis.

Novel therapeutic approaches for cutaneous T cell lymphomas

Introduction: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a rare non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, characterized by malignant T cells infiltrating the skin. CTCL exhibits vast heterogeneity which complicates diagnosis and therapeutic strategies. Current CTCL treatment includes skin-directed therapies (such as topical corticosteroid, topical mechlorethamine, topical bexarotene, ultraviolet phototherapy and localized radiotherapy), total skin electron beam therapy and systemic therapies. Elucidation of molecular and signaling pathways underlying CTCL pathogenesis leads to identification of innovative and personalized treatment schemes.Areas covered: The authors reviewed the molecular and immunological aspects of CTCL with special focus on Mycosis Fungoides (MF), Sézary Syndrome (SS) and associated systemic treatment. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science for peer-reviewed articles published until November 2020. Novel treatment approaches including retinoids, targeted therapies, immune checkpoint and JAK/STAT inhibitors, histones deacetylase (HDAC) and mTOR inhibitors as well as proteasome inhibitors, are discussed as potential therapeutic tools for the treatment of CTCL.Expert opinion: Novel therapeutic agents exhibit potential beneficial effects in CTCL patients of high need for therapy such as refractory early stage cutaneous and advanced stage disease. Therapeutic schemes employing a combination of novel agents with current treatment options may prove valuable for the future management of CTCL patients.

Morphologic Features of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas Using Dermoscopy and High Frequency Ultrasound

The diagnosis of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) is frequently delayed by a median of three years and requires the clinical evaluation of an experienced dermatologist and a confirmatory skin biopsy. Dermoscopy and high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) represent two non-invasive diagnostic tools. While dermoscopy is inexpensive and widely used for the diagnosis of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers, HFUS of skin lymphomas represents a novel diagnostic approach that is not yet implemented in the routine dermatologic practice. The aim of our study was to prospectively assess skin lesions of patients with either CTCL patches or plaques with dermoscopy and HFUS and to compare the findings with atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis. Thirteen patients with an established diagnosis of CTCL, psoriasis, or AD were studied: Dermoscopy features including spermatozoa-like structures and the presence of white scales could assist in differentiating between early-stage CTCL and AD. HFUS measurements of the skin thickness indicated increased epidermal-, thickness in CTCL, and psoriasis compared with AD. Our results support the use of dermoscopy as a useful tool to diagnose CTCL. HFUS could augment the dermatologic assessment, but further studies will be needed to define standardized parameters.

CD4/CD8 dual-positive mycosis fungoides: A case report and literature review

RATIONALE

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. It appears as patches, plaques, and tumors depending on the stage of the disease, which presents a chronic progressive course. Compared to CD4/CD8 MF, CD4/CD8 dual-positive MF is an uncommon immune phenotype.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 36-year-old male patient presented with dryness and scales on his whole body.

DIAGNOSIS

The patient was diagnosed with MF based on results of pathological examination, immunohistochemical staining, and T-cell receptor gene rearrangement test.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient was advised to take an herbal medicine orally twice daily and apply a topical moisturizer after showering.

OUTCOMES

After treatment and follow-up, the patient's symptoms of dryness and scales improved and his condition stabilized.

CONCLUSIONS

While reviewing the literature, we found no previous reports on the treatment of dual-positive MF with Chinese medicine. In this report, we presented the first case of dual-positive MF successfully treated with Chinese medicine. The results suggest that oral ingestion of herbal medicine may be a feasible method for alleviating clinical symptoms of early stage MF. Therefore, the therapy should be explored for clinical use in the future.

Ki67 and CD31 Differential Expression in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma and Its Mimickers: Association with Clinicopathological Criteria and Disease Advancement

BACKGROUND

Cell proliferation and angiogenesis are important in progression of cancerous processes. Differentiating cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) from its mimicking dermatoses and prognosticating it are challenging.

AIM

This study assesses cell proliferation and angiogenesis in different CTCL subtypes using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for Ki67 and CD31 to testify their usability in differentiating CTCL from mimicking dermatoses and discriminating CTCL subtypes from each other with correlation to clinicopathological parameters and disease advancement.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

IHC for Ki67 and CD31 were applied to skin biopsies from 81 patients divided into CTCL (n=59) and dermatoses (n=22) groups. Hot-spot analysis was used to score Ki67 and CD31 microvascular density (MVD) semiquantitatively. Statistical analysis was performed to compare Ki67 index and MVD between CTCL and dermatoses. CTCL subgroups were compared to each other. Ki67 index and CD31 were compared to age, gender, skin and nodal involvement, blood tumor burden and TNMB stage.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

There were significant differences in proliferation index and MVD between dermatoses and CTCL, and between dermatoses and all CTCL subtypes with exception of Ki67 in early mycosis fungoides (MF) and CD31 in patch lesions. Increased cell proliferation and MVD were significantly associated with older age, T3 and 4 skin involvement, significant nodes (N1-3), positive blood tumor burden (B1,2) in CTCL and TNMB stage of MF. Both markers differentiated significantly late from early MF, classic MF from its variants and non-MF CTCL from total MF, but not from late MF. In conclusion, Ki67 and CD31 expression in skin biopsies using IHC reproduces the role of proliferation and angiogenesis in the differential diagnosis and prognostication of CTCL being expressed at higher levels in aggressive than indolent CTCL. Therapeutic targeting of cell proliferation and angiogenesis may improve patient's outcome in CTCL. Usability of these markers into patient's stratification should be considered in further studies.

A 78-Year-Old Female with a Diffuse Pruritic Rash and Palmoplantar Desquamation

Mycosis fungoides, the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, is known to exhibit varied clinical presentations and mimic many other dermatoses. This morphological heterogeneity can often lead to initial misdiagnoses resulting in significant delays from symptom onset to diagnosis. We report a case of mycosis fungoides imitating clinical and histopathological features of erythema annulare centrifugum.

Risk of mycosis fungoides in psoriatic patients: a critical review

Psoriasis has been controversially associated with risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and mycosis fungoides (MF). Also patients who developed MF after systemic treatment for psoriasis have been reported, and some authors suggested that the association between MF and psoriasis is not infrequent. We performed an extensive literature review in order to examine the risk of developing MF in psoriatic patients with a systematic search of the English-language databases. An increased risk for lymphoma overall in psoriatic patients has been found only by three out of seven studies. The risk of developing MF in psoriatic patients has been investigated by different studies in different populations and with different methodologies presenting bias and limitations, and it seems reasonable that misclassification between psoriasis and MF may explain the association reported. In contrast to the large number of psoriatic patients treated with biologicals, only 27 case reports of MF after biological therapy for psoriasis have been reported, and in 10 cases, the initial psoriasis diagnoses were then revised as MF. A true association between MF and psoriasis is possible, but the real incidence and prevalence are still unknown. The reported higher risk of developing MF in psoriatic patients should be reconsidered in the light of the bias of misclassification and the low magnitude reported in previous studies. There is not enough evidence to support a causal relation among biological therapies and MF in psoriatic patients.

Next-Generation Sequencing Technologies for Early-Stage Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

The diagnosis of early stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is often difficult, particularly in mycosis fungoides (MF), because the clinical presentation, histological findings, and laboratory findings of MF resemble those of inflammatory skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and parapsoriasis en plaque. Furthermore, MF sometimes occurs with or after these inflammatory skin diseases. The current diagnostic criteria heavily rely on clinical impressions along with assessments of T cell clonality. To make a diagnosis of early-stage MF, the detection of a malignant clone is critical. T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements have been detected by southern blotting or polymerase chain reaction for this purpose, but the results of these methods are insufficient. High-throughput TCR sequencing has provided insights into the complexities of the immune repertoire. Accordingly, his technique is more sensitive and specific than current methods, making it useful for the detection of early lesions and monitoring responses to therapy.

[Primary cutaneous lymphoma-a case series of 163 patients]

BACKGROUND

In addition to a broad and clinically diverse spectrum of known primary cutaneous lymphomas, for which an incidence of 1-3:100,000 is postulated, each year further entities are specified and defined. The goal is the presentation of a case series from daily clinical routine.

METHODS

Over a period of 6 years and 2 months, patients consulting the Department of Dermatology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, were registered. Subsequently, collectives of mycosis fungoides (MF), Sezary syndrome (SS), CD30+ lymphoproliferative diseases, single cases with rare primary cutaneous lymphomas, and subcollectives of B‑cell lymphomas were examined. The high number of MF cases allowed the additional quantitative analyses of the types of therapies used in this group.

RESULTS

Yearly 16-25 new diagnoses of primary cutaneous lymphoma are made. The evaluation of 163 primary cutaneous lymphoma revealed 111 cases with MF (68.1%), including 9 particular variants, 15 primary cutaneous CD30+ lymphoproliferative diseases (9.2%) dominated by 10 lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP), in addition to 5 primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (PCALCL), 6 SS (3.68%), and 24 cutaneous B‑cell lymphomas (14-72%). Three cases with rare primary cutaneous T/NK cell lymphomas are addressed in detail. In all, 82% of MF cases were stage IA and IB. The descending use of therapies for stage I-III included steroids and diverse UV therapies followed by bexarotene, interferon-α, methotrexate, and extracorporal photophoresis.

CONCLUSIONS

Diagnoses of cutaneous lymphomas belong to a vast spectrum of differential diagnoses. This registry describes frequent findings and shows rare variants. You can only diagnose what you know; accordingly, a collection of case reports, which we wish to encourage, can help in processing and specification of entities.

CD4/CD8 Double-negative Mycosis Fungoides: A Case Report and Literature Review

Mycosis fungoides, the most common subtype of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, displays a broad spectrum of clinical, histological and phenotypic variants with different prognostic impacts. The classic immunophenotype is CD3+/CD4+/CD45RO+memory T cells. CD4/CD8 double-negative mycosis fungoides is rare. Here we describe the clinicopathological features of CD4/CD8 double-negative mycosis fungoides in a 55-year-old female with a review of the literature. Although the CD4/CD8 double-negative phenotype appears to be associated with an unusual clinical presentation, it does not appear to confer prognostic significance.

Oncogenomic analysis identifies novel biomarkers for tumor stage mycosis fungoides

Patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) developing tumors or extracutaneous lesions usually have a poor prognosis with no cure has so far been available. To identify potential novel biomarkers for MF at the tumor stage, a genomic mapping of 41 cutaneous lymphoma biopsies was used to explore for significant genes.The gene expression profiling datasets of MF were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO). Gene modules were simulated using Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) and the top soft-connected genes (hub genes) were filtrated with a threshold (0.5). Subsequently, module eigengenes were calculated and significant biological pathways were enriched based on the KEGG database.Four genetic modules were simulated with 3263 genes collected from the whole genomic profile based on cutoff values. Significant diseases genetic terminologies associated with tumor stage MF were found in black module. Subsequently, 13 hub genes including CFLAR, GCNT2, IFNG, IL17A, IL22, MIP, PLCG1, PTH, PTPN6, REG1A, SNAP25, SUPT7L, and TP63 were shown to be related to cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and adult T-cell lymphoma/leukemia (ATLL).In summary, in addition to the reported genes (IL17F, PLCG1, IFNG, and PTH) in CTCL/ATLL, the other high instable genes may serve as novel biomarkers for the regulation of the biological processes and molecular mechanisms of CTLT (MF/SS).

Clinical characteristics, risk factors and long-term outcome of 114 patients with folliculotropic mycosis fungoides

Folliculotropic mycosis fungoides (FMF) is a distinct variant of mycosis fungoides (MF) where atypical T-cells invade the hair follicles. The objective was to assess the clinical features, risk factors for progression, long-term outcome and response to treatment modalities in a large cohort of FMF patients. We, therefore, conducted a single-center retrospective study, reviewing 114 patients with FMF seen from 1987 to 2015 at the cutaneous T-cell lymphoma clinic of the MD Anderson Cancer Center. The mean age at diagnosis of FMF was 57.1 ± 13.5 years. The male to female ratio was 1.2:1. MF stage IA (n = 50, 43.9%) was the most common diagnosed stage, followed equally by stages IB and IIB (n = 23, 20.2%, respectively). Eighty-six patients (75.4%) suffered from pruritus. Concomitant hair loss was observed in 37 (32.5%) subjects. The median number of different treatment modalities used per patient was 4 (range 1-12). Low-dose radiation was beneficial in clearing therapy refractory lesions. The overall survival was influenced by several factors, including advanced age (>65), late stages and the presence of large cell transformation (LCT). Thirty-three of 113 patients (29.2%) progressed to more advanced stages and 26 (23.0%) died, with the cause of death being MF in 11 (9.7%) subjects. In conclusion, patients with FMF have a worse overall 10-year survival rate compared with other MF variants. Several factors, including stage, advanced age and the presence of LCT impact survival. Multiple different treatment approaches may be needed to achieve a good clinical response and to prevent disease progression.

Fulminant Mycosis Fungoides with Tissue Eosinophilia: A Unique Presentation of Two Cases with Acro-Periorbital Ulceration and An Aggressive Clinical Course

We describe two unique cases of fulminant mycosis fungoides with remarkably similar and aggressive clinical courses resulting in death. Both cases demonstrated ulcerated palmar and periorbital plaques and marked tissue eosinophilia, which was confirmed by T-cell receptor γ chain gene rearrangement studies to display identical monoclonality at temporally and anatomically distinct sites. Dense eosinophilic infiltrates on biopsy led to misdiagnosis of inflammatory dermatoses in both instances.

While mycosis fungoides may be challenging to diagnose histologically, the presence of eosinophils in progressive disease may herald a poor prognosis and should not exclude the diagnosis.

Defining the mimics and clinico-histological diagnosis criteria for mycosis fungoides to minimize misdiagnosis

Background

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a significant diagnostic challenge; it has various differential diagnosis especially at an early stage. Our aim was to describe mimics of MF clinically and histologically, and to define significant diagnostic criteria of the disease.

Methods

This was a retro-prospective cohort of 370 patients in whom the diagnosis of MF was suspected clinically.

Results

MF was histologically confirmed in 15.4% of cases and rejected in 84.5%. Other identified histologically diagnosis were eczema, psoriasis; nonspecific dermatitis, lichen, lupus; pseudolymphoma, parapsoriasis and toxidermia. 4 patients with palmoplantar MF were wrongly treated as eczema, and 10 patients with psoriasiform MF were initially treated as psoriasis. We also described the clinical, histological and immunohistochemistry diagnostic criteria for distinguishing MF from benign dermatosis.

Conclusions

Misdiagnosis of MF was a real problem for this study, because it shared common clinical and histological characteristics with other inflammatory diseases like eczema and psoriasis. Therefore, defining significant clinico-histological diagnosis criteria of MF would be of great help and would increase the accuracy of the diagnosis.

Papular mycosis fungoides: Six new cases and association with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Papular mycosis fungoides (MF) is a rare presentation of MF. Six illustrative cases of papular MF were retrospectively reviewed. Five of the cases studied by immunohistochemistry had variable numbers (range: 1%-20%) of CD30+ cells in the dermal infiltrate, a finding that is characteristic of lymphomatoid papulosis but may occasionally occur in typical early MF. Although none of our papular MF patients had progressive disease, lesions with relatively high numbers of CD30+ cells in 3 patients did not respond well to skin-directed treatments used for MF. Interestingly, these patients had evidence of co-existing clonal B cell populations in the blood (one with clonal B cell lymphocytosis and two with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia). We conclude that: (1) papular MF may contain CD30+ cells, thereby causing confusion with lymphomatoid papulosis; and (2) papular MF, like more typical MF, may be associated with clonal B-cell proliferations including chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

CD8-positive Mycosis Fungoides Masquerading as Pyoderma Gangrenosum

Mycosis fungoides (MF), a primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, accounts for <1% of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. The diagnosis of classic MF is based on a constellation of typical clinical presentation, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and T-cell monoclonality detected by molecular studies. Rarely, atypical clinical presentation may occur. The typical immunohistochemical phenotype is, CD2 +ve, CD3 +ve, CD5 +ve, CD4 +ve, and CD8 − ve. Here, we report a rare case of CD8 +ve MF in a 43-year-male patient who was clinically diagnosed as pyoderma gangrenosum initially. The atypical presentation and rarity of such case have prompted this report.

Tumor microenvironment in mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome arise from malignant T cells that reside in skin, and subsequently are capable of circulating between skin, lymph nodes, and blood. The pathophysiologic mechanisms that cause and result in different behaviors of the skin-homing-malignant T cells in different stages of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) are still unknown. It is hypothesized that the skin microenvironment which is composed by various immune cell subsets as well as their spatial distribution and T-cell interaction through different chemokines and cytokines have an important role in the development and pathogenesis of CTCL and will be addressed in this chapter.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies have discovered that malignant T cells in Sézary syndrome are of the central memory T-cell subset, whereas those in mycosis fungoides are nonrecirculating skin-resident effector memory T cells, and have shown a protumorigenic role of mast cells and macrophages in CTCL. In addition, it has been observed that malignant T cells may exhibit features of one of these three distinct phenotypes (forkhead box P3 + regulatory T-cell phenotype, Th2 phenotype, and Th17 phenotype) and are functionally exhausted through an increased expression of certain coinhibitory molecules, such as programmed death-1.

SUMMARY

All these new findings could assist in the development of novel targeted therapies for CTCL.

Syringotropic mycosis fungoides responding well to VELP chemotherapy: A case report

Mycosis fungoides (MF), a low-malignant lymphoproliferative disorder, is the most common type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The current study reported a case of syringotropic MF, a rare variant of MF, which presented with reactive B cell proliferation, lymphoid follicle formation, hair loss and lymphadenopathy. The clinical manifestations of the patient were MF-like lumps. Immunohistochemical staining of AE1/AE3 showed that there were abundant infiltrated lymphocytes surrounding the syringocystadenoma. In addition, the direction of the lymphocyte arrangement was consistent with the meandering direction of syringocystadenoma. The patient did not respond to 1-month narrowband (311-nm) ultraviolet therapy; however, a good response was obtained subsequent to one cycle of chemotherapy with vincristine sulfate, etoposide, L-asparaginase and prednisone acetate (know as the VELP regimen). After 7 days of VELP chemotherapy, the skin lesions were ameliorated, hair loss was improved and lymphadenopathy disappeared. No lymphadenopathy or new skin lesions were observed during 6 months of follow-up.

Mycosis fungoides: A mimicker of benign dermatoses

Mycosis fungoides, the most common primary cutaneous lymphoma, may present with a broad spectrum of clinical features. As both clinical and dermatopathological findings in mycosis fungoides occasionally closely imitate other dermatoses, correct diagnosis may be a challenge both for clinicians as well as dermatopathologists. As a consequence, diagnosis of cutaneous lymphoma may be initially missed and, therefore, prompt and adequate therapeutic measures delayed. Hence, the purpose of our article was to give an overview of hitherto published “mimickers” of mycosis fungoides with a review of its diverse clinical features to alert the clinicians about the wide spectrum of this dissimulating disease. By integrating our own encountered atypical cases of mycosis fungoides we provide a comprehensive illustrated histological and moleculargenetic workup thereof and thereby critically revise the different available diagnostic tools of daily routine. Finally, we derive a practical algorithm to obtain the correct diagnosis even in such ambiguous cases of mycosis fungoides.

Early onset of mycosis fungoides. Case from practice

Clinical and morphological heterogeneity of malignant lymphoproliferative lesions of the skin is explained by the peculiarities of their pathogenesis and organization of the lymphoid tissue in the skin. These features determine the authenticity of therapeutic approaches to patients with this pathology and exclude the use of standard regimens of polychemotherapy used in oncology due to their low efficacy. The authors describe a case study of a suberythrodermic form of mycosis fungoides in a 16-year-old female patient.