Clinicopathologic analysis of cutaneous lymphoma in taiwan: a high frequency of extranodal natural killer/t-cell lymphoma, nasal type, with an extremely poor prognosis.
BACKGROUND
Primary cutaneous lymphoma is an uncommon, extranodal lymphoma, and it is usually more indolent with a better prognosis than its histologically similar systemic counterpart is.


OBJECTIVE
To illustrate the clinicopathologic features of cutaneous lymphomas in Taiwan and to compare the relative frequencies of subtypes of cutaneous lymphoma among different geographic areas.


METHODS
A total of 56 patients with cutaneous lymphomas were retrospectively collected and were reclassified according to the 2005 World Health Organization and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer and the 2008 World Health Organization classifications. The data were compared with those from other studies for different geographic areas.


RESULTS
Thirty-one (55%) tumors were primary cutaneous lymphomas, and twenty-five (45%) tumors were secondary or concurrent cutaneous lymphomas. Among primary cutaneous lymphomas, 23 cases (74%) were T-cell or natural killer-cell lymphomas, and 8 cases (26%) were B-cell lymphomas. The most common types were extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, and primary cutaneous peripheral T-cell lymphoma, unspecified (5 cases each; 16%). In contrast with other primary cutaneous B-cell and T-cell lymphomas, either primary or secondary extranodal cutaneous natural killer/T-cell lymphomas, nasal type, had extremely poor prognoses (1-year overall survival, 0%).


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that the frequency of subtypes of primary cutaneous lymphoma varied in different geographic areas. Compared with the Western countries, there was a higher frequency of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, and a lower frequency of mycosis fungoides in Taiwan. Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, also had an extremely poor prognosis compared with other lymphomas.
Liao
Jia-Bin
JB
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung City 813, Taiwan.
Chuang
Shih-Sung
SS
Chen
Hsiu-Chiung
HC
Tseng
Hui-Hwa
HH
Wang
Jyh-Seng
JS
Hsieh
Pin-Pen
PP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000473:pathology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000453:epidemiology; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult