Eosinophilic granuloma associated with a 16q22 chromosomal defect of cutaneous T lymphocytes

A 61-year-old woman presented with circumscribed eczematous eruptions with maceration, erosions and patchy infiltration in the perineum and inframammary regions. A diagnosis of eosinophilic granuloma (cutaneous histiocytosis X) was established. T lymphocytes from a skin biopsy were grown in vitro for three weeks after which chromosomal studies revealed a break or gap at chromosome 16q22 in 15% of the lymphocytes. The addition of alpha-interferon increased the percentage of affected cells to 28%. T lymphocytes from the patient's blood did not show the defect. The biological significance of the chromosomal defect is uncertain. It has been described before in healthy persons, malignant lymphoma, cold urticaria and IgA deficiency, and mental retardation. It has not been seen in patients with eosinophilic granuloma.