Folliculotropic mycosis fungoides
Hunzeker, C.M.; Fangman, W.; Latkowski, J-Ann.M.
Dermatology Online Journal 13(1): 5
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 1087-2108 PMID: 17511938 Document Number: 610912
A 72-year-old man presented with a 4-year history of asymptomatic erythematous plaques on his face, neck, and scalp. He had no systemic symptoms or lymphadenopathy. Histopathologic examination of a skin biopsy specimen showed a dense, diffuse infiltrate of lymphocytes and plasma cells, with epidermotropism and folliculotropism. T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement analysis performed on skin biopsy specimen showed a monoclonal cell population. A diagnosis of folliculotropic mycosis fungoides (MF) was made. This clinicopathologic variant of MF is usually associated with ordinary patch-plaque lesions. The prognosis of folliculotropic MF is best estimated using the TNM staging criteria. Many clinicians feel that this variant of MF portends a worse prognosis; however, there are no studies to support this idea. Folliculotropic MF may be more resistant to superficial therapies because of the depth of the neoplastic T-cells in the follicle.