Primary cutaneous lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of T- and B-cell lymphomas that present in the skin with no evidence of extracutaneous disease at the time of diagnosis. The 2005 World Health Organization–European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (WHO-EORTC) consensus classification has served as a golden standard for the diagnosis and classification of these conditions. In September 2018, an updated version of the WHO-EORTC was published in the fourth edition of the WHO Classification of Skin Tumours Blue Book. In this classification, primary cutaneous acral CD8+ T-cell lymphoma and Epstein-Barr virus positive (EBV+) mucocutaneous ulcer are included as new provisional entities, and a new section on cutaneous forms of chronic active EBV disease has been added. The term “primary cutaneous CD4+ small/medium T-cell lymphoma” was modified to “primary cutaneous CD4+ small/medium T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder” because of its indolent clinical behavior and uncertain malignant potential. Modifications have also been made in the sections on lymphomatoid papulosis, increasing the spectrum of histologic and genetic types, and primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphomas recognizing 2 different subtypes. Herein, the characteristic features of these new and modified entities as well as the results of recent molecular studies with diagnostic, prognostic, and/or therapeutic significance for the different types of primary cutaneous lymphomas are reviewed. An update of the frequency and survival of the different types of primary cutaneous lymphomas is provided.
Summary
Despite its recognition as a distinct, extremely rare entity, no large studies of intravascular lymphoma (IVL) have been reported. The clinico‐pathological characteristics of 38 human immunodeficiency virus‐negative patients with IVL diagnosed in Western countries were reviewed to better delineate clinical presentation, clinical variants, natural history and optimal therapy. The IVL is an aggressive and usually disseminated disease (Ann Arbor stage IV in 68% of cases) that predominantly affects elderly patients (median age 70 years, range: 34–90; male:female ratio 0·9), resulting in poor Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG‐PS >1 in 61%), B symptoms (55%), anaemia (63%) and high serum lactate dehydrogenase level (86%). The brain and skin are the most common sites of disease. In contrast to previous reports, hepatosplenic involvement (26%) and bone marrow infiltration (32%) were found to be common features in IVL, while nodal disease was confirmed as rare (11% of cases). Patients with disease limited to the skin (‘cutaneous variant’; 26% of cases) were invariably females with a normal platelet count, and exhibited a significantly better outcome than the remaining patients, which deserves further investigation. Overall survival was usually poor; however, the early use of intensive therapies could improve outcome in young patients with unfavourable features. ECOG‐PS >1, ‘cutaneous variant’, stage I and chemotherapy use were independently associated with improved survival.
To evaluate our diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines, clinical and long-term follow-up data of 219 patients with primary or secondary cutaneous CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders were evaluated. The study group included 118 patients with lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP; group 1), 79 patients with primary cutaneous CD30+ large T-cell lymphoma (LTCL; group 2), 11 patients with CD30+ LTCL and skin and regional lymph node involvement (group 3), and 11 patients with secondary cutaneous CD30+ LTCL (group 4). Patients with LyP often did not receive any specific treatment, whereas most patients with primary cutaneous CD30+ LTCL were treated with radiotherapy or excision. All patients with skin-limited disease from groups 1 and 2 who were treated with multiagent chemotherapy had 1 or more skin relapses. The calculated risk for systemic disease within 10 years of diagnosis was 4% for group 1, 16% for group 2, and 20% for group 3 (after initial therapy). Disease-related 5-year-survival rates were 100% (group 1), 96% (group 2), 91% (group 3), and 24% (group 4), respectively. The results confirm the favorable prognoses of these primary cutaneous CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders and underscore that LyP and primary cutaneous CD30+ lymphomas are closely related conditions. They also indicate that CD30+ LTCL on the skin and in 1 draining lymph node station has a good prognosis similar to that for primary cutaneous CD30+ LTCL without concurrent lymph node involvement. Multiagent chemotherapy is only indicated for patients with full-blown or developing extracutaneous disease; it is never or rarely indicated for patients with skin-limited CD30+ lymphomas.
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