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Cutaneous T cell lymphoma

Nature Reviews Disease Primers volume 7, Article number: 61 (2021) Cite this article

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Abstract

Primary cutaneous T cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are a heterogeneous group of lymphomas that present in the skin with no evidence of extracutaneous disease at the time of diagnosis. CTCL subtypes demonstrate a variety of clinical, histological, and molecular features, and can follow an indolent or a very aggressive course. The underlying pathogenetic mechanisms are not yet entirely understood. The pathophysiology of CTCL is complex and a single initiating factor has not yet been identified. Diagnosis is based on clinicopathological correlation and requires an interdisciplinary team. Treatment decision is made based on short-term and long-term goals. Therapy options comprise skin-directed therapies, such as topical steroids or phototherapy, and systemic therapies, such as monoclonal antibodies or chemotherapy. So far, the only curative treatment approach is allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Novel therapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor T cells, monoclonal antibodies or small molecules, are being investigated in clinical trials. Patients with CTCL have reduced quality of life and a lack of effective treatment options. Further research is needed to better identify the underlying mechanisms of CTCL development and course as well as to better tailor treatment strategies to individual patients.

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Fig. 1: Pathogenesis of mycosis fungoides.
Fig. 2: Signalling pathways involved in mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.
Fig. 3: Clinical and pathological presentation of selected cutaneous T cell lymphoma subtypes.
Fig. 4: The re-challenge paradigm of mycosis fungoides therapy.
Fig. 5: Recommendations for MF/SS treatment, based on EORTC guidelines.
Fig. 6: Targets for future directions for CTCL therapy.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to congratulate Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Günter Burg to his 80th birthday and devote this publication to him.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dermatology Department, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Reinhard Dummer & Egle Ramelyte

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Reinhard Dummer & Egle Ramelyte

  3. Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands

    Maarten H. Vermeer & Cornelis P. Tensen

  4. Centre for Rare Diseases, University Hospital of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

    Julia J. Scarisbrick

  5. Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Youn H. Kim

  6. Department of Dermatology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Connor Stonesifer & Larisa J. Geskin

  7. Department of Dermatology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    Pietro Quaglino

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Contributions

Introduction (M.H.V.); Epidemiology (J.J.S.); Mechanisms/pathophysiology (M.H.V., Y.H.K., C.P.T.); Diagnosis, screening and prevention (L.J.G., C.S.); Management (P.Q., E.R.); Quality of life (R.D.); Outlook (R.D.); Overview of Primer (R.D., E.R.).

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Reinhard Dummer.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Informed consent

The authors affirm that human research participants provided informed consent for publication of the images in Fig. 4.

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Nature Reviews Disease Primers thanks C. Assaf, J. Guitart, T. Miyagaki, M. Sugaya, N. Ødum, and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Supplementary information

Glossary

Patches

Flat, erythematous, often scaly areas of the skin.

Plaques

Raised skin lesions that vary from pink to brownish colour and may often be scaly.

Erythroderma

Widespread erythema and redness that affects >80% of the skin surface.

Lymphadenopathy

Increased size of the lymph nodes.

Follicular involvement

A hallmark of folliculotropic mycosis fungoides and defines the infiltration of hair follicles through malignant cells.

Lichenification

Secondary skin lesion, defined as a thickening of the skin with exaggerated skin lines and sometimes hyperpigmentation.

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Dummer, R., Vermeer, M.H., Scarisbrick, J.J. et al. Cutaneous T cell lymphoma. Nat Rev Dis Primers 7, 61 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-021-00296-9

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