Dermatoscopy of nodular/plaque-type primary cutaneous T- and B-cell lymphomas: A retrospective comparative study with pseudolymphomas and tumoral/inflammatory mimickers by the International Dermoscopy Society

Abstract

Background: Limited data on dermatoscopy of nodular/plaque-type T-/B-cell primary cutaneous lymphomas (PCLs) is available.

Objective: To describe dermatoscopic features of nodular/plaque-type PCLs, comparing them with those of clinical mimickers (pseudolymphomas, tumors, and inflammatory lesions) and investigating possible differences according to histologic subtypes.

Methods: Participants were invited to join this retrospective, multicenter case-control study by submitting histologically/immunohistochemically confirmed instances of nodular/plaque-type PCLs and controls. Standardized assessments of the dermatoscopic images and comparative analyses were performed.

Results: A total of 261 lesions were included (121 PCLs and 140 controls). Orange structureless areas were the strongest PCL dermatoscopic predictor on multivariate analysis compared with tumors and noninfiltrative inflammatory dermatoses. On the other hand, a positive association was found between PCLs and either unfocused linear vessels with branches or focal white structureless areas compared with infiltrative inflammatory dermatoses, whereas white lines were predictive of PCLs over pseudolymphomas. Differences in the vascular pattern were also seen between B- and T-cell PCLs and among B-cell PCL subtypes.

Limitations: Retrospective design and the lack of a dermatoscopic-pathologic correlation analysis.

Conclusion: Nodular/plaque-type PCLs display dermatoscopic clues, which may partially vary according to histologic subtype and whose diagnostic relevance depends on the considered clinical differential diagnoses.

Keywords: dermatoscopy; infiltrative dermatoses; inflammatory dermatoses; lymphomas; pseudolymphomas; tumors.