T-cell primary cutaneous lymphomas. A clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study.

Within the large framework of the lymphoproliferative diseases, the primary cutaneous lymphomas are distinct pathologic conditions, defined by particular morphologic, immunologic, genetic, and clinic criteria. The study aimed to create the first clinicopathological and immunohistochemical profile of primary cutaneous lymphoma for a Romanian region. We investigated a series of 16 cases (diagnosed during a 5-year period) in accordance with the general principles of primary cutaneous lymphoma management. The methods included the clinic and morphologic exams, the latter relying on standard and immunohistochemical staining. The results revealed that all studied cases were T-type lymphomas, in terms of the WHO-EORTC classification. Most of these cases were diagnosed as mycosis fungoides; the group also included cases of Sezary syndrome, as well as rare entities such as: mycosis fungoides associated with follicular mucinosis and subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma. Our discussions focused on the role of the clinicopathological assessment for the primary cutaneous lymphoma diagnosis and emphasized the importance of the immunohistochemical investigation. Compared with the previous Romanian researches on this topic, presenting only isolated cases, the current study develops a new level of analysis, based on the rigorous monitoring of a relatively large geographical area, for a long time horizon.