Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: Differential diagnostics of erythrodermic conditions

Abstract

Erythroderma is a condition damaging at least 80–90 % of the skin surface, characterized by erythema and peeling. This condition may be a manifestation of various diseases of the skin and internal organs, including malignant lymphoproliferative disorders. Sézary syndrome and the erythrodermic variant of mycosis fungoides are aggressive forms of cutaneous T-cell skin lymphoma, the diagnostics of which is challenging due to the similar clinical pictures of these diseases with benign dermatoses. This article presents two clinical cases of erythroderma in the setting of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. An analysis of the anamnestic data, the clinical picture and the results of laboratory examinations in patients suffering from this condition allowed the diagnosis of Sézary syndrome to be confirmed. The presented cases reflect the importance of identifying the causes of erythroderma.Conflict of interest: the authors state that there is no potential conflict of interest requiring disclosure in this article.

Keywords

• erythroderma
• cutaneous t-cell lymphoma
• mycosis fungoides
• sézary syndrome
• erythrodermic variant of mycosis fungoides