title: Cardiac involvement and molecular staging in a fatal case of mycosis fungoides.
abstract: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of T-cell receptor-gamma gene rearrangement was used for molecular staging in a case of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) with fatal evolution. Although initial evaluation was negative for systemic involvement, the patient died due to heart failure. Autopsy findings revealed lymphomatous myocardial infiltration, but other tissues and organs examined, including lymph nodes, liver, spleen, lung and bone marrow, appeared to be free of disease. Molecular analysis from frozen samples obtained during the initial evaluation, as well as paraffin-embedded material obtained during autopsy, revealed the presence of clonal rearranged bands in all tissues examined except the bone marrow. Subsequent hybridization of PCR products with a tumour-specific oligoprobe confirmed the PCR results, suggesting widespread dissemination of the lymphomatous process. The use of molecular analysis can add significant information about the extent of disease in patients with CTCL and may be helpful in the establishment of therapeutic options.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital Prínceps d'Espanya, Ciutat Sanitària de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. osevitje@csub.scs.es
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Servitje
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Limón
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Romagosa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gallardo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peyrí
mesh_terms: D017809:Fatal Outcome; D015334:Gene Rearrangement, gamma-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes