Indolent course of cutaneous gamma-delta T-cell lymphoma

Abstract

Cutaneous gamma-delta T-cell lymphoma (γδTCL) is a rare malignancy that typically displays an aggressive clinical course. We present an unusual case of a 57-year-old woman with a 3-year history of lower extremity nodules. Histopathologic, immunophenotypic and molecular genetic studies revealed a clonal, predominantly pannicular gamma-delta T-cell infiltrate, leading to a diagnosis of cutaneous γδTCL. The clinical course was characterized by rapid improvement within months of starting systemic corticosteroids, with relapse in ulcerations but no new lesions more than 3 years after onset of disease. Our case and seven previously reported patients with indolent and relatively localized cutaneous γδTCL provide evidence that not all cases of this entity carry a poor prognosis. This indolent subset adds complexity to treatment of cutaneous γδTCL.

Keywords: connective tissue disease panniculitis; gamma-delta T-cell lymphoma; panniculitic lymphoma.