Treatment of mycosis fungoides with bexarotene results in remission of diffuse plane xanthomas.
BACKGROUND
Cutaneous xanthomas develop as a result of intracellular and dermal deposition of lipids in either hyper- or normolipidemic patients. Plane xanthomas may signal the presence of an underlying monoclonal gammopathy, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, or cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Investigators have suggested that xanthomatized T cells may result in induction of plane xanthomas.


METHODS
We report the case of a patient with mycosis fungoides (MF) and plane xanthomas who was treated with bexarotene for his MF.


RESULTS
Significant improvement in the clinical signs of MF was observed within 3 months. We also observed a substantial regression of the xanthomas after 5 months of treatment. Complete clinical remission of both the MF and xanthomas was obtained after 6 months. The patient was still free of xanthomas after 3 years of follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Bexarotene led to the clearing of the cutaneous lesions of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and plane xanthomas. This may be due to an effect of bexarotene on the aberrant T cells that may cause xanthomatization.
Department of Dermatology, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece. stamgreg@yahoo.gr
Stamatis
S
Gregoriou
Dimitris
D
Rigopoulos
Christos
C
Stamou
Vasiliki
V
Nikolaou
George
G
Kontochristopoulos
D000368:Aged; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077610:Bexarotene; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014973:Xanthomatosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes; D000077610:Bexarotene