Cutaneous lymphomas and pseudolymphomas: A ten-year study at Emam Reza and Omid hospitals in Mashhad, using immunohistochemical and new classification methods

Background: Cutaneous lymphomas are monoclonal neoplastic proliferations of immune cells most frequently T or B cells that infiltrates skin. Development of new diagnostic methods, particularly those for immunophenotyping, have substantially changed classification of these neoplasms. These reasons prompted us to perform this study. Objective: To re-classify cutaneous lymphomas and pseudolymphomas in Mashhad. Patients and Methods: We reevaluated the specimens from a recent 10-year period filing in Imam Reza and Omid hospitals pathology archives and selected 46 cases diagnosed as any kind of skin lymphoid neoplasms. Then further histochemical and immunohistochemical staining were performed. Results: 43 cases of definitely diagnosed lymphohematopoietic cutaneous disorders were compared of 26 (60.5%) cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL), 16 (14%) cutaneous B cell lymphoma, 7 (16.3%) pseudolymphoma and 1 (2.2%) case of Hodgkin’s disease (Secondary involvement). Conclusion: CTCLs were the most common lymphomas of the skin and mycosis fungoides was the most common CTCL. Immunohistochemical techniques can be greatly helpful in diagnosis and classification of cutaneous lymphomas. However, routine microscopic evaluation still remains the principle method for diagnosis, especially when there is a close cooperation between dermatologists and pathologists.