Adolescence Mycosis Fungoides: An Unusual Presentation with Hypopigmentation

Abstract

Mycosis fungoides (M.F.) is a rare cutaneous malignancy of childhood and adolescence. The disease commonly presents with the classic sequence of erythematous patches and plaques. Hypopigmentation as the presenting symptom is distinctly rare. This is the 9th case report of M.F. presenting with hypopigmentation in a patient under 20 years of age. The disease was only partially controlled with PUVA therapy, necessitating nitrogen mustard treatment.

Hypopigmented Mycosis Fungoides Associated with Atopy in Two Children

“…Hypopigmented lesions of MF are similar to those of pitriasis alba, which is seen in atopic dermatitis in white patients. The mechanism of hypopigmentation may be due to a decreased transfer of melanosomes from melanocytes to keratinocytes, as a nonspecific response to inflammation (8,9,12,23). Zackheim and McCalmont (6) defined MF as a great imitator.…”

Cytotoxic Mycosis fungoides Evolving from Pityriasis lichenoides chronica in a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl

“…El-Hoshy and Hashimoto [17]and Zackheim et al [18]reported a figure of about 6% of all cases of CTCL seen in reference centers, but the growing number of reports dealing with this issue would suggest that the right incidence might be higher. The clinical presentation of MF in this age is polymorphous ranging from classical MF [18], to the hypopigmented variant [17, 19], to pityriasis-lichenoides-like MF [20]and to cases presenting with the features of benign mucinosis follicularis [21]. …”

Clinicopathological spectrum of mycosis fungoides

“…Hypopigmented MF is often seen in young, dark-skinned patients of Indian or African-American origin, although it may sometimes be observed in light-skinned people. [97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104] Patients present with asymptomatic or slightly pruritic, nonscaly patches with irregular borders ( fig. 18).…”