title: Cytologic evaluation of lymphadenopathy associated with mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome: role of immunophenotypic and molecular ancillary studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The most common presenting site of extracutaneous disease in mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome is the peripheral lymph node. Although fine-needle aspiration biopsy has been shown to be a valuable diagnostic technique in evaluating lymphadenopathy, its utility in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma has not been extensively studied. With fine-needle aspiration biopsy, material can be collected for ancillary diagnostic studies and for morphologic evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors report a series of 11 fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens from 10 mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome patients. Flow cytometric immunophenotyping and T-cell receptor gamma chain polymerase chain reaction were performed on fine-needle aspiration biopsy material and correlated with cytologic findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven of 10 patients had lymph node involvement by cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, with 3 cases exhibiting large-cell transformation and 4 cases exhibiting a small-cell pattern. Flow cytometric immunophenotyping identified an abnormal T-cell population in 6 cases. A clonal T-cell rearrangement by T-cell receptor gamma chain polymerase chain reaction (TCR-gamma PCR) was identified in 1 case in which insufficient events were present for evaluation by flow cytometry and in 1 case in which flow cytometry was not diagnostic of T-cell lymphoma. Two cases showed involvement by classic Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed by immunohistochemistry on cell block material.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fine-needle aspiration biopsy in conjunction with immunophenotyping and T-cell receptor gamma chain polymerase chain reaction is significantly useful in evaluation of lymphadenopathy in patients with mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome, especially for triaging lymph nodes that would otherwise not be sampled or for evaluating multiple lymph nodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA. reeteshp@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Reetesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: Franklin M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Mullins
authors.forename: Youn H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Christina S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics; D012751:Sezary Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta