Human herpesvirus 8 is not detectable in lesions of large plaque parapsoriasis, and in early-stage sporadic, familial, and juvenile cases of mycosis fungoides

Mycosis fungoides and Kaposi's sarcoma association in an HIV-negative patient

The association of mycosis fungoides and kaposi’s sarcoma in HIV-negative patients is a rare phenomenon. The presence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) – associated with all forms of Kaposi’s sarcoma – has also been recently identified in mycosis fungoides lesions. However, a causal association between HHV-8 and the onset of mycosis fungoides has not been established yet. The present case reports a patient who developed Kaposi’s sarcoma lesions after a two-year UVB phototherapy to treat a mycosis fungoides. Negative immunohistochemistry staining for Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus in the initial mycosis fungoides lesions strengthens the absence of a link between Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and mycosis fungoides. Immunosuppression caused by the lymphoma and prolonged phototherapy were probably the contribut ing factors for the onset of Kaposi’s sarcoma.

Role of infectious agents in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: facts and controversies

The etiology of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) remains unknown, with potential infectious causes having been explored. This contribution evaluates the evidence suggesting an infectious etiology and pathogenesis of the disease, characterizes the relationships between various specific pathogens and CTCL, and discusses some of the difficulties in establishing a causal link between infectious agents and CTCL carcinogenesis. Researchers have evaluated CTCL specimens for evidence of infection with a variety of agents, including human T-lymphotropic virus, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus-8, and Staphylococcus aureus, although other pathogens also have been detected in CTCL. Although there is significant evidence implicating one or more infectious agents in CTCL, studies to date have not linked definitively any pathogen to disease development, and various studies have yielded conflicting results.

Human herpesviruses 6, 7, and 8 from a dermatologic perspective

Human herpesviruses (HHVs) have frequently been suspected as etiologic agents or cofactors in cutaneous disease. However, clearly established associations are rare. Investigations into an etiologic association between HHVs and cutaneous disease are complicated by the ubiquity and nearly universal prevalence of some herpesviruses. This article summarizes the associations between cutaneous disease and HHV-6, HHV-7, and HHV-8. In addition to a personal library of references, the PubMed database of biomedical literature was searched using the following Medical Subject Heading terms: HHV-6, HHV-7, and HHV-8, each in conjunction with cutaneous manifestations, virology, epidemiology, dermatopathology, and therapeutics, between 1998 and March 2011. Free-text searches with known or suspected disease associations were added for broader coverage. The results have been summarized to provide a practical review for the physician likely to encounter cutaneous diseases.