Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T cell lymphoma arising in association with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a rare cutaneous T cell malignancy of cytotoxic T cell origin. It is frequently associated with autoimmune diseases. It is known to preferentially involve subcutaneous adipose tissue and histologically resembles lupus panniculitis. The aetiology and risk factors of SPTCL are unclear and there are limited studies available since this entity was initially described in 2001. There are even fewer case reports describing the association between SPTCL and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In this article, we present a case of SPTCL arising during treatment for CLL. We conducted an extensive review of literature to delve into the possible risk factors for SPTCL development in association with CLL, including pre-existing haematological malignancies, autoimmune conditions, immunomodulation and immunosuppressive chemotherapy.

Primary cutaneous lymphomas in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL): A series of 12 cases

BACKGROUND

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is associated with an increased risk of a second malignancy.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective clinicopathologic review of 12 patients with CLL/SLL who developed a second lymphoma in the skin. Demographic data, clinical information, and histopathology from 31 biopsies were recorded. Cases of secondary cutaneous involvement by CLL/SLL (leukemia cutis) and non-primary cutaneous lymphomas were excluded.

RESULTS

A wide variety of primary cutaneous lymphomas was identified, including classic mycosis fungoides (3), cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma (2), primary cutaneous peripheral T-cell lymphoma unspecified (2), folliculotropic mycosis fungoides (1), Sézary syndrome (1), cutaneous gamma-delta T-cell lymphoma (1), cutaneous CD8+ aggressive epidermotropic cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma (1), and cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (1). A male predominance was observed, and the average age was 74.1 years. In all patients, CLL/SLL predated the development of the second lymphoma, which was aggressive in the majority of cases (58%). Aggressive cytotoxic T-cell lymphomas, generally rare neoplasms, were relatively common (30%).

CONCLUSIONS

CLL/SLL patients may develop a second lymphoma in the skin, which may be aggressive. Atypical cutaneous lymphoid infiltrates in this patient population should not be assumed to represent secondary CLL/SLL involvement and require thorough immunohistochemical analysis.

Risk of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Second hematologic cancers in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) are well documented and include Hodgkin lymphoma, therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndromes, and transformation to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Although cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) has been reported in patients with CLL, the incidence and comparison to expected rates are unknown. We evaluated the incidence of CTCL among patients with CLL or other non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.

METHODS

We searched the SEER 13 registries for patients with a diagnosis of CLL and NHL between 1992 and 2008. Among patients identified, we evaluated the incidence of CTCL.

RESULTS

Among 31,286 patients with CLL, the incidence of CTCL was not significantly higher in men than women: 104.2 (95% CI, 50.0-191.8) and 28.1 (95% CI, 3.4-101.3) per 1,000,000 person-years, respectively (P = 0.06). Among 97,691 patients with NHL, the incidence of CTCL was similar in men and women (97.9 [95% CI, 62.0-146.9] and 92.0 [95% CI, 56.2-142.1] per 1,000,000 person-years, respectively; P = 0.84). The incidence of CTCL among males with CLL (standardized incidence ratio [SIR], 3.0 [95% CI, 1.4-5.5]), males with NHL (SIR, 3.7 [95% CI, 2.3-5.5]), and females with NHL (SIR, 5.9 [95% CI, 3.6-9.1]) was significantly higher than expected in the general population (all P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The risk of CTCL is greater in men with CLL than in the general population. In patients with NHL, both men and women are at greater risk for CTCL than in the general population.

A unique case of concurrent chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma and lymphomatoid papulosis in the same biopsy

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL/SLL) is the most common leukemia in the western world and its cutaneous dissemination a very uncommon phenomenon. Lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) is a CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by chronic, recurrent and self healing skin lesions. Up to 20% of patients with LyP have a coexistent lymphoma. While the association between the two entities has been reported, their coexistence has never been documented. We describe a 74-year-old man with known CLL and thrombocytopenia who presented with a 2 year history of recurrent nodules and plaques to both arms and legs that resolved within 4-6 weeks after administration of rituximab and bendamustin for his CLL treatment. His biopsies showed an atypical lymphoid infiltrate, composed of large and pleomorphic cells with a nodular and interstitial pattern in a background of eosinophils. Immunohistochemical staining revealed a pattern of two separate yet coexisting neoplastic processes; a large CD30 positive T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder, while the other one was diagnostic of a neoplastic B-cell process (leukemia cutis). A diagnosis of coexistent LyP and cutaneous involvement by CLL/SLL was rendered. The simultaneous presence of both disorders can be a pitfall in the differential diagnosis of large cell lymphomas, such as Richter's transformation of CLL/SLL.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: clinical characteristics, temporal relationships, and survival data in a series of 14 patients at Mayo Clinic

BACKGROUND

We examined the course of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), which has been associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in patients with CLL.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A search was conducted of the master diagnosis index at our institution to identify patients with both CLL and CTCL from 1980 to 2010. A retrospective chart review was then conducted.

RESULTS

Of the 14 patients with CTCL and CLL, eight had mycosis fungoides (MF; two with patch stage, two with plaque stage, two with tumor stage, and two with erythrodermic stage), four had Sézary syndrome, one had natural killer cell lymphoma involving the skin, and one had peripheral T-cell lymphoma involving the skin. Eight had concurrent diagnoses, five received a CLL diagnosis first, and one received a CTCL diagnosis first. Ten patients were deceased at the time of data abstraction due to unknown causes (n = 4), lymphoma (n = 2), pneumonia (n = 2), MF (n = 1), or respiratory failure (n = 1). Of the nine patients with concurrent or prior CTCL, seven were deceased, with a median time to death of 10.2 months (range, 6-89 months). Of the five patients with CLL prior to CTCL, three were deceased at 18, 27, and 47 months, respectively, after the CTCL diagnosis. The median survival for the two groups was 12 and 47 months, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with CTCL concurrent with or prior to CLL have a worse overall survival than patients with CLL in whom CTCL later develops. Larger studies are needed.