Insidious Manifestations of Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma

A 66-year-old gentleman presented with several months of a generalized pruritic skin eruption along his face, thorax, and extremities. Although he had been seen previously, no diagnosis was made until he presented to the emergency department (ED) with worsening lesions. The patient was ultimately diagnosed with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Accurately diagnosing a rash in the ED is not always possible as more invasive studies may be needed. Emergency physicians can expedite these studies where there is a high suspicion for a diagnosis that may need urgent evaluation and management by specialists through hospital admission and appropriate consultations. The clinical images here are an example of a rare disease manifesting as a debilitating rash, requiring inpatient evaluation and management.