Evaluation of Angiogenesis in Early Mycosis Fungoides Patients: Dermoscopic and Immunohistochemical Study.

BACKGROUND

Angiogenesis is the production of new blood vessels from an existing vascular network; it plays a critical role in solid tumor development and metastasis.

OBJECTIVES

To assess angiogenesis in early cases of mycosis fungoides (MF) and to determine vascular patterns in MF dermoscopically.

METHODS

25 patients with MF and 20 healthy controls were included. The MF lesions were assessed dermoscopically. CD34 immunohistochemistry was performed to count dermal microvessel density (MVD).

RESULTS

The total dermal MVD was significantly higher in MF patients (19.77 ± 5.81) than in controls (4.44 ± 3.16; p = 0.013). Among them, there were 10.8 ± 4.1 sprouts of endothelial buds (clusters of cells per field) in patients and 2.4 ± 2 in controls (p = 0.000). The dotted pattern of blood vessels was the most frequently encountered pattern in the MF lesions by dermoscopy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support that neoangiogenesis is significantly increased in early MF lesions and that the main dermoscopic feature of MF is dotted blood vessels.