Cutaneous B-cell lymphoma--a clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical study

Eleven cases of cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (CBCL) were studied. The ages at presentation ranged from 34 to 79 years (mean = 59.9 years). Six patients were female and five male. Five of the 11 patients had a solitary tumour and the other six had multiple tumours at initial presentation. According to Burg's classification, six cases were at stage I, two stage II, two stage III and one was at stage IV at initial presentation. Abnormalities in laboratory data were rare, except for serum lactic dehydrogenase values. Epidermotropism was not detected, and the area mainly affected by neoplastic cells was the reticular dermis (seven cases) and subcutis (four cases). Biopsy specimens from the patients analysed by immunohistochemical techniques on paraffin or cryostat sections showed CD20 and/or CD22 positivity. Biopsy specimens from two patients which showed CD10 positivity were diffuse large cell types by the working formulation and presented as pre-B-cell lymphoma. At least two groups of CBCL were demonstrable on the basis of prognosis. One was a benign low-grade lymphoma presenting with solitary tumours, mature B-cell markers and intermediate-grade pathology, and the other was a high-grade lymphoma with multiple tumours, pre-B-cell or mature B-cell markers and a poor prognosis.