title: Folliculotropic mycosis fungoides: single-center study and systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify clinicopathologic features and reconcile discrepancies in previous studies of folliculotropic mycosis fungoides (FMF).
  
  
  METHODS
  A single-center retrospective clinicopathologic study and a systematic review of FMF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral center in the midwestern United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with clinical and histopathologic evidence of FMF seen at the tertiary referral center during a 12(1/2)-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinicopathologic features of FMF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty patients (32 male [64%] and 18 female [36%]) met study criteria for the clinicopathologic review. Pruritic patches, plaques, and folliculocentric lesions (milia, cysts, and alopecia) on the head, neck, and trunk were common clinical findings. The mean time to diagnosis of FMF was 5.0 years. Diagnostic latency did not affect risk of death. One-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 96% and 62%, respectively. Frequent microscopic features were follicular mucinosis (74%) and epidermotropism (54%). Systematic review of 186 additional patients confirmed male predominance (ratio of men to women, 3.2:1.0), prevalent pruritus (73%), frequent follicular mucinosis (69%) and epidermotropism (37%) microscopically, and common head, neck, and trunk involvement. Combined data demonstrated that 6% of patients with FMF had concurrent non-mycosis fungoides hematologic malignant neoplasms and that the 5-year overall survival rate was 62% to 64%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Folliculotropic mycosis fungoides has distinct clinical and microscopic features and is associated with a poor 5-year overall survival rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, MayoClinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Julia S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lehman
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Cook-Norris
authors.forename: Brent R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Weed
authors.forename: Roger H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Weenig
authors.forename: Lawrence E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pittelkow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology