Response to topical corticosteroid monotherapy in mycosis fungoides

Topical corticosteroids alone or in combination with other therapies are widely used to treat mycosis fungoides (MF), but data on response rates to their use as monotherapy in MF are limited.

To evaluate the efficacy of topical corticosteroid monotherapy in MF; compare sex, age, stage distributions, and histopathologic features between responders and nonresponders.

A retrospective cross-sectional review of patients with MF from 2013 to 2019 treated at Thomas Jefferson University was conducted. Patients with biopsy-proven MF, all stages, who received topical corticosteroid monotherapy were included. Response rates were determined by percent change in body surface area (BSA) involvement and modified Severity-Weighted Assessment Tool (mSWAT).

Of the 163 patients with MF in our database, 23% (37/163) initially received topical steroid monotherapy. Of these, 73% (27/37) improved, with an average 65% decrease in BSA (67% in mSWAT); 27% (10/37) did not respond/progressed, with an average 51.6% increase in BSA (57% in mSWAT); and 33% (12/37) had a complete response (BSA, 0%) with prolonged topical steroid use. Early-stage MF and female sex were more represented in responders.

Single-center retrospective design.

Topical steroid monotherapy in early-stage MF can produce measurable improvements in BSA and mSWAT scores and achieve complete remission in a limited subset of patients.