Woringer-Kolopp disease (localized pagetoid reticulosis): a systematic review

Woringer-Kolopp disease (WKD), also known as localized pagetoid reticulosis, is a rare variant of mycosis fungoides as described by the World Health Organization-European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (WHO-EORTC) classification system for cutaneous lymphomas. Our objective was to conduct a comprehensive review that describes and evaluates patient demographics, clinical presentation, immunohistochemical findings, management, and outcomes of WKD.

The databases PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant literature. Patient demographics, imaging, treatments, and other clinical characteristics were obtained. The literature search was conducted on December 7, 2020. Studies were included if they contained primary data related to WKD. Non-pertinent studies, non-English studies, non-human studies, review articles, or studies with insufficient case information were excluded. The quality of the included studies and the risk of bias were evaluated using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Group (GRADE) criteria (2016), Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine: Levels of Evidence (OCEBM) (March 2009), and the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) criteria (2003).

A total of 84 studies with 143 patients met the inclusion criteria for this study. The most common chief complaint was an asymptomatic, slow-growing, and erythematous plaque. The average time from initial skin eruption to presentation was 97.6 months. Histologically, 128 cases of WKD displayed epidermotropism (97.7%). Various therapies, including radiotherapy, surgery, and local chemotherapy, were used. In total, 92 (78.6%) cases had complete remission and 11 (9.4%) cases recurred.

WKD is a rare cutaneous T-cell lymphoma that often presents as a single plaque on the extremities with an indolent course and a favorable prognosis. However, it is often misdiagnosed, leading to delays in treatment. The diagnosis of WKD involves clinical appraisal, a biopsy of suspicious lesions, and immunohistochemistry. Monotherapy appears to be preferred compared to combination therapy for WKD with radiotherapy demonstrating among the highest cure rates and lowest recurrence. Future retrospective and prospective studies are needed to accurately determine the epidemiology, prognosis, and effective treatments for WKD. Limitations include a possibility of missed studies, heterogeneity in reporting methods, publication, and selection bias.