concanavalin-a and Lymphoma--T-Cell--Cutaneous

The leukaemic form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, as represented by Sézary syndrome, exhibits erythroderma. We describe here an indolent leukaemic patient with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, who initially had a nodulo-tumourous eruption with a crop of solid papules, but finally presented with papuloerythroderma. Histologically, the skin lesions showed non-epidermotropic dermal infiltration of atypical lymphocytes with lymphoid follicles and a granulomatous change. The circulating malignant CD4(+) CCR4(+) T cells lacked the expression of T-cell receptor and did not respond to concanavalin A. The unresponsiveness of T cells to the T-cell mitogen may be associated with the non-epidermotropic behaviour of the tumour cells and the initially non-erythrodermic eruption.

Topics: Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Biopsy; CD3 Complex; CD4 Antigens; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Cells, Cultured; Concanavalin A; Dermatitis, Exfoliative; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Immunophenotyping; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous; Male; Mitogens; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; Phenotype; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; Receptors, CCR4; Skin Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome