Dermatopathic lymphadenopathy. Comparison of cases associated and unassociated with mycosis fungoides.

Thirty-three biopsies showing dermatopathic lymphadenopathy were obtained from patients with documented cutaneous mycosis fungoides and were studied together with an equal number of dermatopathic lymph nodes derived from patients without evidence of mycosis fungoides. The nodes were evaluated for a variety of histologic features including mitotic figures, immunoblasts, and in particular for the number of atypical cerebriform lymphocytes. Atypical lymphocytes were found to be equally as frequent among both groups of dermatopathic lymph nodes without any statistically significant differences in quantitation or distribution. Similarly, no other morphologic variable was found which would allow an objective distinction of dermatopathic lymphadenopathy from patients with or without mycosis fungoides.