Cutaneous CD8+ epidermotropic cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma with aggressive course

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous CD8+ epidermotropic cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma is a recently described rare primary cutaneous lymphoma exhibiting aggressive clinical behavior. Only about twenty cases have been described in the literature. Below we report a case involving unusual association of cutaneous vasculitis and lymphoproliferation. CASE REPORT: A 42-year-old senegalese man was hospitalized for cutaneous nodular lesions, which rapidly spread and became necrotic and ulcerated. he had recent weight loss with fever and multiple enlarged lymph nodes. Cutaneous histological analysis showed epidermotropic dermal infiltrate comprising medium and large cd8+ cytotoxic t-cells of unusual angiocentricity with cutaneous vasculitis and fibrinoid necrosis. the patient died 4 months after initiation of treatment with multi-agent chemotherapy. DISCUSSION: This patient presented the characteristics of primary cutaneous CD8+ epidermotropic cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma described by Berti. The clinical findings in most cases consist of nodular and ulcerative cutaneous lesions. Histologically, the cutaneous infiltrate is composed of pleomorphic lymphocytes with marked and constant epidermotropism. Immunohistochemistry shows lymphocytes expressing a CD8+ phenotype and cytotoxic proteins, which probably accounts for the local and systemic aggressiveness of the disease, as well as the angiodestructive nature of the infiltrate and the necrotic lesions.     

CD8阳性皮肤γ/δ T细胞淋巴瘤一例

【摘要】 患者女,44岁。躯干多发斑块、溃疡2个月。皮损初起为红色斑块,迅速破溃形成溃疡。皮肤组织病理检查示真皮全层及皮下脂肪层弥漫中等至较大的淋巴样细胞浸润,细胞明显异形性,亲表皮生长。免疫组化结果显示,异形细胞表达CD3、CD8、CD56、颗粒酶B（GranB）、穿孔素,而TCRα/β、CD4、CD5、CD20和CD79α不表达。EB病毒（EBV）检查阴性。T细胞受体基因重排示γ基因重排阳性。诊断：皮肤γ/δ T细胞淋巴瘤。患者放弃治疗,于发病20个月后死亡。     

皮肤CD8+T细胞淋巴瘤

皮肤CD8+T细胞淋巴瘤罕见,常见于成人.皮肤损害可表现为蕈样肉芽肿(MF)样、Sezary综合征样、全身性银屑病样、播散性湿疹样网状细胞增生病(PR)、限局性PR和皮肤结节等.约半数病例为侵袭性或惰性.瘤细胞常示向表皮性和主要浸润于皮肤附属器周围,示CD8+、CD7+、CD3+,但常丢失CD2和CD5,不常表达活化抗原(CD25、CD30、Iα).此瘤需与富于CD8+T细胞的疾病如皮肤红斑狼疮、银屑病等鉴别,以及与MF之反应性CD8+细胞区别.     

CD30+皮肤T细胞淋巴瘤并发大疱性类天疱疮

报告1例CD30+皮肤T细胞淋巴瘤并发大疱性类天疱疮.患者男,77 岁.因躯干四肢皮疹伴偶痒3 个月入院.皮损和淋巴结组织病理及免疫组化检查提示CD30+皮肤T细胞淋巴瘤.患者在入院期间出现局限性水疱,组织病理及免疫荧光检查证实为大疱性类天疱疮.给予泼尼松30 mg/d 口服;重组人干扰素α-2b 300万U 肌内注射,隔日1 次,皮损较前减轻.     

Pleomorphic CD8+ small/medium size cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Pleomorphic small/medium-sized cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is a recently recognized rare type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma which is clinicopathologically different from mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome. By definition the phenotype of the neoplastic lymphocytes in pleomorphic small/medium-sized cutaneous CD3CD4CD8 but CD8 pleomorphic small/medium sized cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cases have been occasionally described. We describe a 55-year-old female with a pruritic erythematous nodule on the lateral aspect of her right foot present for 1.5 years. Histology revealed a nonepidermotropic lichenoid infiltrate in the papillary dermis and a patchy infiltrate in the mid and lower dermis composed of small to medium-sized pleomorphic lymphocytes. The immunophenotype of these lymphocytes was CD3CD4CD8TIA-1. Staining for CD20, CD30, CD56, TdT, and LMP1 were negative, and the Ki-67 proliferation index was 5% to 10%. Gene rearrangement studies demonstrated a T-cell clone. The laboratory and imaging workup did not reveal extracutaneous involvement. The lesion was treated by local irradiation but a follow-up biopsy demonstrated only partial remission. Consequently, the lesion was treated by surgical excision.     

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

The "Clinical Snapshot" series provides a concise examination of a clinical presentation including history, treatment, patient education, and nursing measures. Using the format here, you are invited to submit your "Clinical Snapshot" to Dermatology Nursing.     

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a neoplasm of helper T cells whose first manifestations usually appear in the skin. The various forms of CTCL are distinguished by both clinical features and histopathology. Early on, the diagnosis may be difficult to establish because of its numerous, and often non-specific, clinical presentations. Further, the pathological findings of early lesions may lack the diagnostic features observed in well-developed or advanced disease. The diagnosis of CTCL must be considered in any patient with a chronic, therapy-resistant condition of the skin. In patients with non-specific histological findings, a high index of suspicion and multiple biopsies may eventually lead to a diagnosis of CTCL. Once the diagnosis of CTCL is established, accurate staging is essential both for its effect on treatment decisions and for its prognostic value. In general, CTCL is a chronic, slowly progressive disease with a long evolution. The development of tumours is a poor prognostic sign, as is erythroderma. The Sezary syndrome is a distinct form of erythrodermic CTCL that is characterized by exfoliative erythroderma, lymphadenopathy, lymphocytosis, intense pruritus, and circulating large, abnormal lymphocytes (Sezary cells). When death does occur, it is most often due to septicemia. Treatment of CTCL must be tailored to the individual patient. The most commonly employed treatment options are photochemotherapy and topical chemotherapy.     

Cutaneous cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma

Cutaneous cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma is a rare variant of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, which shows immunoreactivity for CD56+. We report on an 83-year old woman with numerous skin infiltrates and nodules mainly on her face and trunk. Histopathologic criteria lead to the diagnosis of cutaneous cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma. Bexarotene was not tolerated because of cardiac insufficiency, but treatment with methotrexate (7.5 mg once weekly) led to prompt regression of all lesions.     

Cutaneous immunoblastic T-cell lymphoma

Summary The case of a 69-year-old male patient with an unusual type of malignant lymphoma is presented. Clinically, it was at first characterized by follicular papules and erythematous patches, later, by the development of cutaneous tumors and enlarged lymph nodes, and by a severe, finally excruciating pruritus. Treatment with PUVA (psoralen-ultraviolet-A) combined with 40–80 mg prednisolone and then with chemotherapy [COPP regimen (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbacine, prednisone), high-dosage methotrexate followed by citrovorum factor rescue] was not successful. The patient died of pneumonia 2.5 years after the onset of the first clinical symptoms. An immunoblastic infiltrate was observed histologically and electromicroscopically in the initial lesions of the skin. Therefore, the diagnosis of a cutaneous immunoblastic T-cell lymphoma was tentatively made at the beginning, which was later confirmed in numerous biopsies and laboratory investigations. Immunocytologically and enzymecytochemically, the infiltrating cells were shown to be immature T cells; in the lymph nodes, numerous immunoblasts and large Sézary cells were noted beginning in the paracortical areas and leading to the destruction of the normal lymph node structure. A maximum of 18% Sézary cells was observed in the peripheral blood, though there were no very large Sézary cells or blast cells. In the autopsy, a systemic involvement with an atypical lymphoid infiltration was found in numerous internal organs.The special nature of this case justifies its classification as high-grade malignant lymphoma and its differentiation from normal cases of mycosis fungoides. In contrast, mycosis fungoides generally fulfils criteria typical of low-grade malignant lymphomas.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft     

Fatal CD8+ epidermotropic cytotoxic primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with multiorgan involvement

A 70-year-old woman presented with a 3-month history of two ulcerated erythematous-violaceous nodular lesions over the nose and forehead, respectively. The patient's history included a similar cutaneous nodule on the glabella diagnosed as pseudolymphoma 2 years ago.At that time, despite the diagnosis of a benign disease, an adequate staging was performed, ruling out any extracutaneous involvement. During hospitalization, multiple purpuric papules developed over the abdomen, and the disease spread to mediastinal lymph nodes, lungs and the central nervous system. Based on the histologic, immunophenotypic and molecular biology findings, a diagnosis of CD8+ epidermotropic cytotoxic primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma was made. Secondary skin involvement by a CD8+ extracutaneous T-cell lymphoma could not be excluded with certainty, but seemed to be unlikely because of the negativity of the initial workup. The patient died from complications of right femoral artery thrombosis before starting specific polychemotherapy 21 months after onset of the disease. Among primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, the CD8+ epidermotropic cytotoxic subset comprises rare, highly aggressive forms characterized by metastatic spread to unusual sites such as the oral cavity, lungs, testis and the central nervous system but usually not to the lymph nodes. These cases seem to be distinct from mycosis fungoides with CD8+ phenotype, which shows a nonaggressive clinical behavior.     

CD8+ cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with pagetoid epidermotropism and angiocentric and angiodestructive infiltration

A 68-year-old woman had a peculiar clinical course of cutaneous lymphoma. She first developed nonpuritic erythematous macules with fine scales followed by development of erythematous infiltrated plaques. The clinical course could be interpreted as that of mycosis fungoides. Histologically, the lesions showed pagetoid infiltration of atypical lymphoid cells. Suddenly, with high fever, numerous purpuric, ulcerated, or crusted plaques with underlying infiltration or nodules began to appear on most areas of the patient's body. Biopsy specimens of the lesions revealed angiocentric and angiodestructive infiltration by neoplastic T cells and marked epidermotropism of these cells. These atypical cells immunohistochemically had CD8+ surface phenotype. The patient died of respiratory insufficiency due to acute pulmonary infiltration. Autopsy demonstrated angiocentric and angiodestructive lymphomatous infiltration in the lung.