Mycosis fungoides: subcutaneous and visceral tumors, orbital involvement, and ophthalmoplegia

Abstract

A patient with advanced severe mycosis fungoides presented several unusual features, including prominent lesions of the palate and tongue and an orbital tumor with exophthalmos and ophthalmoplegia. A hitherto undescribed feature was the development of multiple, massive subcutaneous tumors unrelated to the dermis or to lymph nodes, and large tumors in the connective tissues of the buttock, flank, and retroperitoneum. The usual sites of extracutaneous dissemination of mycosis fungoides--lymph nodes, spleen, liver, lungs, and blood--were not demonstrably involved. This may be a new pattern of dissemination for this disease. Of practical importance is the immediate and complete relief of exophthalmos and ophthalmoplegia that was obtained with emergency radiotherapy.