Cutaneous natural killer/T-cell lymphoma

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2002 Mar;46(3):451-6. doi: 10.1067/mjd.2002.118339.

Abstract

Lymphomas are classified as either Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's. The 2 subtypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that can present primarily in the skin are cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and cutaneous B-cell lymphoma, both of which tend to be low-grade malignant neoplasms. Recently another distinct subtype of lymphoma was discovered, the natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma, which can involve the skin in a primary or secondary fashion. The NK/T-cell subtype of lymphoma is characterized by the expression of the NK-cell antigen CD56. These CD56(+) lymphomas are further subdivided into nasal NK/T-cell lymphomas that commonly present as midfacial destructive disease and non-nasal NK/T-cell lymphomas that often arise in extranodal locations, including the skin. We report a case of aggressive NK-cell leukemia/lymphoma with numerous secondary cutaneous lesions and review the clinical and histopathologic spectrum of non-nasal CD56(+) lymphomas, with an emphasis on the dermatologic findings.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Biopsy
  • CD56 Antigen / immunology
  • Humans
  • Killer Cells, Natural / pathology*
  • Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / pathology*
  • Male
  • Skin / pathology
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology*

Substances

  • CD56 Antigen