Peripheral T - Cell Lymphoma Involving Skin

Kim, Young Gull; Cho, Kwang Hyun; Yang, Seong Gyu; Kim, Chul Woo

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Peripheral T-cell lymphomas(PTCL) frequently involve the skin and may occur as distinct clinicopathologic entities. However, clinicopathologic features of PTCLs involving the skin other than mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome have been poorly understood. OBJECT: This study aimed to characterize the nature of PTCL involving the skin in the Korean population.
METHODS
Twenty-three cases of PTCL which involved the skin were collected during period from July, 1991 to June, 1995 In addition to reviewing the clinical records and routine histologic slides of t.hese cases, the immunohistochemical studies with several antibodies and in situhybridization for Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) early RNAs were performed on selected cases.
RESULTS
We recognized five subtypes; mycosis fungoides, 5 cases, angiocentric T-cell lympho-ma, 9 cases, diffuse large cell lymphoma, 4 cases(Ki-1 positive, 3 cases, Ki-1 negative, 1 case), subcutaneous T-cell lymphoma, 1 case, and unspecified PTCL, 4 cases. Mycosis fungoides tends to involve papillary dermis with epidermotropism, where as angiocentric T-cell lymphoma and unspecified PTCI. predominantly affact adnexae, venules, and subcutis. Among 9 cases of angiocentric T-cell lymphoma, EBV RNAs were detected in 5 cases. In the prognostic point of view, mycosis fungoides and Ki- 1 positive large cell lymphoma were notably favorable and angiocentric T-cell lymphoma, especially EBV related, was guarded.
CONCLUSION
A variety of the distinct entities of PTCL which frequently involve the skin were identified in the Korean population. In addition to the clinicopathologic information, immunophenotyping and EBV detection are thought to be crucial in diagnosing and predicting the behavior of T-cell neoplasms.