A case of acantholytic dermatosis and leukemia cutis: cause or effect?
Leukemia cutis is capable of presenting in a variety of clinical and histologic guises. We describe a 75-year-old man with a recent diagnosis of M0 acute myelogenous leukemia, who presented with multiple pruritic erythematous papules on his chest and back. Microscopically, the epidermis showed acrosyringeal-based acantholysis consistent with transient acantholytic dermatosis (TAD), associated with exocytosis of atypical hematolymphoid cells. In addition, the dermis showed a contiguous atypical hematolymphoid proliferation consistent with conventional leukemia cutis. To our knowledge, this is the first such case combining features of TAD with leukemia cutis. It remains to be determined whether the acantholysis occurred secondary to the leukemia cutis, was initiated by the migration of leukemic cells, or if the association is merely serendipitous.
Departments of Pathology and Dermatology, University of South Florida College of Medicine and Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tampa, Florida 33556, USA.
Pamela E
PE
Sakalosky
Neil
N
Fenske
Michael B
MB
Morgan
D000051:Acantholysis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D017254:Leukemic Infiltration / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D003561:Cytarabine; D005047:Etoposide; D003630:Daunorubicin