Specific cutaneous manifestations in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

BACKGROUND

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is an aggressive malignancy which may occur in individuals infected with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-I). HTLV-I is endemic in Khorasan, with a frequency of 2.3% in the general population. As specific cutaneous manifestations of lymphoma may occur in a significant number of patients, we studied these manifestations in ATLL patients admitted to the Hematology and Dermatology Departments of Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, during 1995-2004.

METHODS

In this descriptive study, demographic and clinical information was obtained from 23 patients suffering from ATLL with specific cutaneous lesions (atypical lymphocytes on histopathology of cutaneous lesions), and was analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

Of the 23 patients, 11 were male and 12 were female. The mean age was 48.17 +/- 14.1 years. The birth place in over 85% of cases was the north of Khorasan. The most common type of specific skin lesion was a maculopapular eruption (11 cases; 47.8%); papular lesions were seen in four cases (17.4%). Other lesions included plaques, ichthyosis-like lesions, erythroderma, tumors, papules, and nodular lesions. In most patients (56.5%), the skin lesions were generalized.

CONCLUSION

The most common type of specific skin lesion in ATLL was maculopapular eruption, especially with a generalized distribution. Other types of specific skin lesion, in order of frequency, were papules, plaques, ichthyosis-like skin lesions, nodules, tumors, and erythroderma.