Cutaneous manifestations of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Thirty-two confirmed cases of non -Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) were examined for cutaneous manifestations for a period of 2 years from November 1998 in KMC Hospital Attavar, Mangalore. Cutaneous manifestations in the study group were compared to a control group of 32 patients. Specific infiltrates were present in all (5/5) CTCL patients and one out of twenty-seven patients with low grade NHL. Morphologically they presented as papules, plaques, nodules and erythroderma. Infective conditions seen in the study group were superficial fungal (7/32) and viral infections (2/ 32). Non-infective conditions were acquired ichthyosis (10/32), generalised pruritus (5/32), insect bite reaction (1/32) and drug eruption (1/32). When compared to control patients only acquired ichthyosis and generalised pruritus were found to be statistically significant. The study group also showed changes due to chemotherapy like diffuse alopecia (24/29), bluish pigmentation of proximal part of nail (4/29), localised pigmentation of palms and soles (1 /29), diffuse pigmentation at injection site (1 /29), pigmentation at scar site (1 /29) and stomatitis (4/29).