The skin-associated lymphoid tissue-related B-cell lymphomas

Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCLs) should be clearly separated from non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphomas with secondary cutaneous involvement and from cutaneous B-cell pseudolymphomas. The majority of CBCLs are characterized by a homogeneous clinical presentation and behavior, with good response to local radiotherapy, low tendency to extracutaneous spread, and excellent prognosis. According to the European Organization for Research on the Treatment of Cancer classification of primary cutaneous lymphomas, CBCLs with an indolent behavior are divided into 2 subgroups: follicular center cell lymphoma and immunocytoma/marginal zone lymphoma, due to putative histologic similarities with their purported nodal counterparts. In addition, a third subgroup with intermediate prognosis (large B-cell lymphoma of the leg) is identified. Conversely, the identification of distinct subgroups is disputable from a strictly histologic, immunophenotypic, and genotypic point of view, and has neither correlation with the clinical course nor the prognosis of the disease. Moreover, the majority of CBCLs show a uniform immunophenotype (CD5-, CD10-) and genotype (lack of bcl-1/bcl-2 and c-myc gene rearrangement) of neoplastic cells. Therefore, we favor the use of the term Skin-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (SALT)-related B-cell lymphomas, due to the close similarities between CBCLs and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas, and the evidence for an acquired B-cell arm of SALT.