title: Primary cutaneous lymphomas: single center experience of dermatology and hematology clinics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present the clinical characteristics, treatments performed, response to treatment, and follow up of 40 patients diagnosed with primary cutaneous lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study included were 23 males and 17 females from our center with confirmed diagnosis of primary cutaneous lymphoma over an 8-year period. Data were retrieved from the patient medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median patient age at diagnosis was 59.5 years (range 33-86). Skin biopsies showed that 31 patients (77.5%) had mycosis fungoides (MF), 2 (5%) had anaplastic large cell lymphoma, 3 (7.5%) had diffuse large B cell lymphoma, 3 (7.5%) had poikilodermic mycosis fungoides, and 1 (2.5%) had non-classified non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). In patients with T cell lymphoma clinical stage IA prevailed (42.5%). The 3 patients with B cell lymphoma had stage IE and 2 of them had B symptoms. Sezary cells were detectable in the peripheral blood of 3 patients. Twenty-three patients (57.5%) used only topical corticosteroids, 2 (5%) were treated with PUVA (psoralen ultraviolet A), 1 (2.5%) was treated with PUVA and chemotherapy, 8 (20%) received combination chemotherapy, 1 patient (2.5%) received PUVA+ interferon+topical nitrogen mustard, and 1 (2.5%) received chemotherapy+topical nitrogen mustard+interferon. Among 16 patients with the valuable response to treatment 5 (33%) showed complete remission (CR) and 9 (60%) partial remission (PR). The median follow up time for all patients was 1.5 months (range 1-135). While mean overall survival (OS) time was 123 months (95% CI 100.6-145.3), the estimated median OS was not reached.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early diagnosis of MF is rather favorable in terms of high and long-term response rates to topical treatments.
authors.affiliation: Katip Celebi University, Ataturk Research and Training Hospital, Division of Hematology, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bahriye
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Payzin
authors.forename: Zerrin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ogretmen
authors.forename: Aysegul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cidem Yildirim
authors.forename: Serap
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozturk Durur
authors.forename: Serra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sentekin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003880:Dermatology; D005260:Female; D006405:Hematology; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D017728:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome