A case of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma expressing gamma delta T-cell receptors

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma expressing gamma delta T-cell receptors (TCRs) is rare; only a few cases have been reported. We report another case of the disease that had a fatal outcome and differs from two previously reported cases in its clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical aspects. The patient had multiple skin tumors with central crusts; she showed no response to chemotherapy and died within 1 year. Histologic findings included perivascular infiltrates in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue with no epidermotropism; the large lymphoid cells had a phenotype of CD1-, CD3+, CD4-, CD8-, CD25-/+, CD30-, CD38-/+, HLA-DR+, and gamma delta TCR (beta F1-, TCR delta 1+, delta TCS1-, Ti gamma A+, BB3-). The differences in the phenotype of gamma delta T-cell malignancies may reflect the uniqueness of its clinical and histologic features. A study of gamma delta T-cell malignancies may disclose important biologic features of gamma delta TCR+ cells.