title: Leukemia cutis of the nose.
abstract: Leukemia cutis (LC) represents metastatic spread of aggressive systemic leukemia to the skin and heralds a poor prognosis. We report a patient with a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia presenting as a recalcitrant nasal cellulitis that proved to be involved by LC on skin biopsy. As demonstrated by this case, LC can mimic inflammatory dermatoses, resulting in failure of an accurate diagnosis and consequently inappropriate treatment and delay in optimal therapy. In patients with a history of leukemia, histopathologic examination of refractory conditions is essential and should be performed early in the treatment strategy.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Skin Disease Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Madeliene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gainers
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rofagha
authors.forename: Joseph C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: English
mesh_terms: D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D015448:Leukemia, B-Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D017254:Leukemic Infiltration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*