Remission in skin infiltrate of a patient with mycosis fungoides treated with cyclosporine.

A 57-year-old woman with mycosis fungoides that had failed to respond to cytotoxic chemotherapy was treated with cyclosporine. Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome are disorders of helper T cells. Cyclosporine is a fungal endecapeptide of novel chemical structure that causes preferential inhibition of T helper cells. Because of this in vitro inhibition of T helper cells, we used cyclosporine to treat a patient who had mycosis fungoides that was refractory to cytotoxic combination chemotherapy. With cyclosporine administered initially as an intravenous infusion and orally after 10 days, there was immediate improvement in the patient's symptoms. This subjective improvement was accompanied by a decrease in her skin infiltration, noted on physical examination and microscopically. Despite continued administration of the cyclosporine, symptoms recurred after 3 1/2 months of therapy.