Leukemia cutis presenting with fingertip hypertrophy.

BACKGROUND

Patients with leukemia often manifest cutaneous findings, which include nonspecific lesions and specific leukemic infiltrates termed leukemia cutis.

OBJECTIVE

A case of leukemia cutis involving distal finger pads is reported and literature describing hand involvement of specific leukemic infiltrates is reviewed.

METHODS AND

RESULTS

An 80-year-old woman with a 10-year history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia developed painful symmetric tumors of her distal finger pads. Histopathological examination of the biopsy specimen revealed infiltration by neoplastic lymphocytes. Only a few cases of leukemia cutis involving the hands have been reported in the literature, none with this particular presentation. The clinical and histopathologic features of leukemia cutis are reviewed.

CONCLUSION

This case emphasizes the importance of obtaining a biopsy specimen for histopathological examination of any suspicious skin lesion in a patient with leukemia.