Cyclosporine A treatment for relapsed subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma: a case with long-term follow-up

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTL) is a distinctive lymphoma characterized by an infiltration of subcutaneous tissue by neoplastic cytotoxic T cells. There was no distinction between TCR alpha/beta phenotype and TCR gamma/delta phenotype, and anthracycline-based chemotherapy was usually used for both. Here, we report a patient with recurrent SPTL who achieved a second long-term complete remission by repeated cyclosporine A (CsA) treatment. From 2000 to 2001, the patient received anthracycline-based combination chemotherapy. However, the treatment did not induce long-term remission. In 2002, he received cyclosporine treatment for about 6 months. This resulted in a 5-year remission that ended in relapse in 2008. He received CsA treatment once again and attained a second long-term remission. This case suggests that re-treatment with CsA can be a good option for relapsed SPTL cases and can result in long-term remission.