Mycosis fungoides in patients under 20 years of age: report of 7 cases, review of the literature and study of the clinical course.
BACKGROUND
Mycosis fungoides (MF) is rare in young patients. Its clinical behavior is still uncertain, as some reports have suggested that it has a more aggressive course than does the adult-onset type.


OBJECTIVE
To ascertain if early-onset MF represents a heterogeneous group of cutaneous T cell lymphomas.


METHODS
Clinical, immunohistopathological and follow-up data of early-onset (<20 years of age) MF cases reported in the literature (n = 42) plus 7 described herein were compared with those of a cohort of adult-onset MF patients (n = 252) diagnosed at our institution since 1975.


RESULTS
The majority of the 49 early-onset MF patients had patch-plaque stage disease at diagnosis. Ten had hypopigmented lesions. The predominant phenotype was CD3+ CD4+CD7-CD8-. Seven patients had a stage progression, 6 with extracutaneous involvement. Five- and 10-year survival rates were 93 and 74%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
No statistically significant differences were found in the disease course between early- and adult-onset MF.
Quaglino
P
P
Section of Dermatology, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, University of Turin, Italy.
Zaccagna
A
A
Verrone
A
A
Dardano
F
F
Bernengo
M G
MG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*