Radiological and clinical features of subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma

Familial aggregation of subcutaneous panniculitis-like T cell lymphoma: A case report of monozygotic twin brothers

RATIONALE

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a rare subtype of cutaneous lymphoma, which was first defined as a clinical entity in 1991 as a cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma preferentially infiltrating subcutaneous tissue. Herein, we report 2 patients of SPTCL who are a pair of twin brothers.

PATIENT CONCERNS

The disease afflicted the monozygotic twin brothers at different time with an interval period of 5 years. The older twin brother had disease onset at 27 years of age. In June 2012, he developed prolonged fever accompanied by subcutaneous nodules in the left upper arm and left chest due to unknown origin. The younger twin brother had disease onset at 32 years of age. In June 2017, the younger brother presented with repeated high fever for more than 10 days, accompanied by head distension.

DIAGNOSIS

On August 7, 2012, skin biopsy was performed on the lesion of left upper arm of the older twin brother, and then, a diagnosis of subcutaneous panniculitis-like T cell lymphoma (SPTCL) was made. On June 19, 2017, the younger twin brother underwent whole-body fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography for diagnosis. Soon afterwards, abdominal subcutaneous nodule resection and biopsy was performed on June 28, 2018, and the specimen was diagnosed as SPTCL.

INTERVENTIONS

For the older brother, a total of 14 systemic chemotherapy sessions were performed from August 16, 2012, to September 21, 2014. For the younger brother, a total of 9 systemic chemotherapy sessions were performed from July 14, 2017, to March 8, 2018, then he was switched to oral chemotherapy with chidamide twice a week for 6 months.

OUTCOMES

The older twin brother died in March 2015, the younger brother has recovered well and is no longer receiving any treatment LESSONS:: To the best of our knowledge, twin brothers both having this disease has never been previously reported. Moreover, some of the involved areas are also extremely rare detected by fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography at initial stage. It is beneficial to people to gain some new understanding for SPTCL by this special case and some extremely unusual involved sites in the younger twin brother.

Imaging analysis of superficial soft tissue lymphomas

PURPOSE

To describe imaging findings in superficial soft tissue lymphomas, especially those located in the skin and subcutaneous layer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study included 44 pathologically confirmed superficial lymphoma lesions. Imaging analysis included the size, margin, location, morphology, homogeneity and multiplicity.

RESULTS

A nodular form was the most common (21/44, 47.7%) morphology, and of them, 18 demonstrated a streaky appearance. Most of the lesions demonstrated ill-defined margins (26/44, 59.1%) and homogeneous patterns (35/44, 79.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

The imaging findings of superficial soft tissue lymphomas were non-specific. However, if images show multiple nodular lesions with ill-defined margins, we should consider this diagnosis.

Subcutaneous Panniculitis-like T Cell Lymphoma Mimicking Early-Onset Nodular Panniculitis

Patient: Male, 24

Final Diagnosis: Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma

Symptoms: Fever • skin nodules

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: Skin biopsy • PET-CT

Specialty: Hematology

Clinico-radiologic findings in primary cutaneous extranodal natural killer/t-cell lymphoma, nasal type mimicking cellulitis of the left arm

Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma is a very rare and aggressive disease characterized histopathologically by an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive atypical lymphoid cytotoxic infiltrate, extensive vascular destruction, and prominent tissue necrosis. It commonly shows cutaneous lesions that primarily or secondarily mimic cellulitis at the primary site. We report on a very rare case of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type of skin/soft tissue, in a 64-year-old man, and describe the radiological findings. The condition was misdiagnosed as cellulitis of the left arm based on initial noninvasive clinical and radiologic work-up.

Bone marrow involvement by subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma: a report of three cases

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma is a rare subtype of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Virtually all cases are confined to the subcutaneous adipose tissue. In this report, we describe the first small series of subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (three patients) with bone marrow involvement. All patients presented with skin or soft tissue nodules, fever, and constitutional symptoms, and were diagnosed with subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma based on the characteristic morphologic and immunophenotypic features of the subcutaneous lesions. Bone marrow core biopsies in these cases showed focal involvement by lymphoma with pathologic features similar to those seen in the diagnostic biopsies. Our observations suggest bone marrow involvement by subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma does occur, and can be identified histologically and confirmed using standard immunohistochemistry. Our findings raise awareness of bone marrow involvement in this rare entity. However, the incidence and significance of bone marrow involvement in subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma requires further evaluation.

Positron emission tomography revealed diffuse involvement of the lower legs and occult extracutaneous lesions in subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a very rare type of cutaneous lymphoma that localizes primarily in the subcutaneous adipose tissue without palpable involvement of the lymph nodes. Most often, it presents as multiple, painless, subcutaneous nodules on the extremities and trunk. In this study, we describe an unusual case of SPTCL that mimicked phlegmonous inflammation; PET/CT revealed massive diffuse involvement of the lower legs, low-grade nodal active disease, and occult involvement of the intra-abdominal visceral fat. A repeat PET/CT study after CHOP chemotherapy revealed complete resolution of abnormal FDG uptake in the initially involved sites.

3T-MRI, elastography, digital mammography, and FDG-PET CT findings of subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) of the breast

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a rare subtype of cutaneous lymphoma, which is characterized by infiltration of neoplastic cytotoxic T cells into the subcutaneous tissue. We here report the case of a 66-year-old woman with SPTCL of the breast, which is a very uncommon location. Multiple suspicious irregular small masses in the subcutaneous fat were detected by mammography, and sonograms revealed hyperechoic masses. Elastography was useful to improve depiction and delineation of SPTCL in the hyperechoic subcutaneous fat, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI examinations showed multiple irregular rim enhanced masses with persistent enhancement. FDG-PET CT images showed hypermetabolism in areas corresponding to other imaging techniques. MRI can be useful for diagnosis of fat necrosis, which is a primary radiologic feature of SPTCL. However, fat necrosis has multitude of appearances by various imaging techniques, which typically indicate a benign disease, but may indicate a malignancy. Therefore, an ultrasonographically guided core needle biopsy is useful for a diagnosis of SPTCL of the breast. The presence of multiple subcutaneous nodules throughout the body on CT imaging may be an important finding that suggests a diagnosis of SPTCL.