Ikeda T, Gion Y, Nishimura Y, Nishimura MF, Yoshino T, Sato Y. Epstein-Barr Virus-Positive Mucocutaneous Ulcer: A Unique and Curious Disease Entity.
Int J Mol Sci 2021;
22:ijms22031053. [PMID:
33494358 PMCID:
PMC7865427 DOI:
10.3390/ijms22031053]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-positive mucocutaneous ulcer (EBVMCU) was first described as a lymphoproliferative disorder in 2010. EBVMCU is a unifocal mucosal or cutaneous ulcer that often occurs after local trauma in patients with immunosuppression; the patients generally have a good prognosis. It is histologically characterized by proliferating EBV-positive atypical B cells accompanied by ulcers. On the basis of conventional pathologic criteria, EBVMCU may be misdiagnosed as EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or other lymphomas. However, its prognosis differs from that of EBV-associated lymphomas, in that patients with EBVMCU frequently show spontaneous regression or complete remission without chemotherapy. Therefore, EBVMCU is now recognized as a low-grade malignancy or a pseudo-malignant lesion. Avoiding unnecessary chemotherapy by distinguishing EBVMCU from other EBV-associated lymphomas will reduce the burden and unnecessary harm on patients. On the basis of these facts, EBVMCU was first described as a new clinicopathological entity by the World Health Organization in 2017. In this review, we discuss the clinicopathological characteristics of previously reported EBVMCU cases, while focusing on up-to-date clinical, pathological, and genetic aspects.
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