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[Lymphoma with skin manifestations in HIV infection: 8 cases]
Introduction:
Cutaneous lymphomas occurring in HIV infection are a rare disease. Most of them are high grade lymphomas with fulminant course and poor prognosis.
Objective:
Evaluate clinical and histological aspects as well as immunophenotype and evolution of these lymphomas.
Patients And Methods:
Eight patients with HIV infection were studied between 1992 and 1994. The clinical and histological features were reviewed by the members of the French Study Group for Cutaneous Lymphomas. Staging procedures for lymphomas were performed in 7/8 patients.
Results:
Seven non epidermotropic lymphomas and one mycosis fungoides were reviewed. Patients were male (6 cases) and female (2 cases); their mean age was 45 years (27-63). The mean level of CD4 T cells/mm3 was 141 (20-380). Only one patient presented with extracutaneous lesions. These lesions were similar to seronegative patients, but unusual features were observed in two cases. Histological classification showed high grade lymphomas in 6/8 cases. The immunophenotype was: T-cell lymphoma in 4 cases, B-cell lymphoma in 3 cases; it could not be determinated in one case. Six patients died. The median of survival is 8 months in this series.
Discussion:
Our series confirms the predominance of high grade lymphomas presenting in the skin. The T-cell phenotype is more frequent. The onset of a cutaneous lymphoma has a poor prognosis in HIV infection. Most of our patients had localised disease at presentation. Therapeutic management of these lymphomas must be codified.