Over the past 4 decades, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma diagnoses have been on the rise, especially among black and other skin of color patients. Unfortunately, this form of skin cancer can be a diagnostic challenge.
Regarding diagnosis, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is the wild card of dermatology; it is a great mimicker of many skin disorders, and can look like almost anything. However, the most striking feature of the condition – and the key to diagnosis in ethnic skin – is its polymorphous pigmentation that is unique to skin of color.
CTCL lesions may be flat or raised, and may mimic other skin disorders associated with pigment change. These can include tinea versicolor, vitiligo, pityriasis rosea, and psoriasis. Lichen planus pigmentosus and progressive macular hypomelanosis are other important CTCL mimickers. Consider all of these conditions in the differential diagnosis.
An excellent resource for photos and descriptions of CTCL, as well as CTCL look-alikes, is an article by Dr. Ginette A. Hinds and Dr. Peter Heald. The article also highlights the clinical variants within the mycosis fungoides subtype, the most common form of CTCL among blacks.
For example, look out for the “herald patch” of unilesional mycosis fungoides, which takes the form of a single large, dyspigmented patch. According to the authors, this variant has an excellent prognosis, possibly because of an active immune response that limits the initial spread of disease and contributes to preventing relapse.
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