Clinical and phenotypic diversity of T cell lymphomas

Forty-one cases of T cell lymphoma were identified on the basis of morphology and the expression of two or more T cell antigens with an absence of B cell markers. Mycosis fungoides and lymphoblastic lymphoma were excluded. Marked clinical, morphological, and immunologic diversity was observed. Cutaneous lymphoma was found in approximately 50% of the patient group, and 27% had a prior history of dermatologic or immunologic disease. No correlations among immunologic and morphologic phenotypes and clinical course were apparent. Survival data was comparable to that of a concurrent group of non-T cell lymphoma patients studied at this institution, suggesting that, contrary to previous reports, T cell lymphoma may not necessarily confer a more unfavorable prognosis. Prospective studies using uniform treatments are necessary to address the clinical significance of the T cell phenotype definitively, independent of established histologic and clinical features.