Janine Wechsler

Primary cutaneous lymphomas represent a heterogeneous group of T- and B-cell lymphomas that show considerable variation in histology, phenotype, and prognosis. Recently, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Cutaneous Lymphoma Project Group has reached consensus on a new classification for this group of diseases. The EORTC classification for primary cutaneous lymphomas is based on a combination of clinical, histologic, and immunophenotypic criteria, and thus contains well-defined disease entities rather than histologic subgroups. In addition, this new classification contains a number of provisional entities, which may display characteristic histologic features, but are not yet well defined clinically. These provisional entities account for less than 5% of all primary cutaneous lymphomas. In this report the basic principles of this new classification, as well as the characteristic features of the different disease entities, are described. In addition, survival data of 626 patients with primary cutaneous lymphomas derived from the registry of the Dutch Cutaneous Lymphoma Working Group, illustrating the clinical validity of this new classification, are presented.

We made a retrospective evaluation of clinical and radiologic features, treatment, and outcome of Erdheim-Chester disease, a rare non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis. We had 7 patients coming from 3 French teaching hospitals and reviewed 52 cases from the literature. These cases were considered to have Erdheim-Chester disease when they had either typical bone radiographs (symmetrical long bones osteosclerosis) and/or histologic criteria disclosing histiocytic infiltration without features for Langerhans cell histiocytosis (no S-100 protein, no intracytoplasmic Birbeck granules). Ages at diagnosis ranged from 7 to 84 years (mean +/- SD = 53 +/- 14 yr) with a male/female ratio of 33/26. Bone pain was the most frequent clinical sign (28/59), mostly located in the lower limbs. Exophthalmos and diabetes insipidus were found in respectively 16/59 and 17/59 patients. General symptoms (fever, weight loss) and "xanthomas" (mainly located on the eyelids) were present in 11/59 patients. Retroperitoneal involvement was found in 17/59 patients. Skeletal X-ray showed typical osteosclerosis of the diaphysis of the long bones in 45/59 patients. Bone radiographs showed osteolytic lesions of the flat bones (skull, ribs) in 8 patients. Histologic diagnosis was performed after a bone biopsy (28 patients), a retroorbital biopsy (9 patients), and/or a biopsy of the retroperitoneal infiltration or the kidney (11 patients). Six of our 7 patients but only 5 of 52 patients from the literature had the complete histologic criteria, disclosing no Birbeck granules or S-100 immunostaining. In other cases, histologic results usually described a xanthogranulomatous infiltration by foamy histiocytes nested in fibrosis. Treatment was corticotherapy (20/59), chemotherapy (8/59), radiotherapy (6/59), surgery (3/59) and immunotherapy (1 patient). Twenty-two patients died after a mean follow-up of 32 +/- 30 mo (range, 3-120 mo). In conclusion, Erdheim-Chester disease may be confused with Langerhans cell histiocytosis as it sometimes shares the same clinical (exophthalmos, diabetes insipidus) or radiologic (osteolytic lesions) findings. However, it also appears to have distinctive features. Patients are older and have a worse prognosis than those with Langerhans cell histiocytosis, and the diagnosis relies on the association of specific radiologic and histologic findings.

In the WHO classification, subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTL) is defined as a distinct type of T-cell lymphoma with an aggressive clinical behavior. Recent studies suggest that distinction should be made between SPTL with an alpha/beta T-cell phenotype (SPTL-AB) and SPTL with a gammadelta T-cell phenotype (SPTL-GD), but studies are limited. To better define their clinicopathologic features, immunophenotype, treatment, and survival, 63 SPTL-ABs and 20 SPTL-GDs were studied at a workshop of the EORTC Cutaneous Lymphoma Group. SPTL-ABs were generally confined to the subcutis, had a CD4-, CD8+, CD56-, betaF1+ phenotype, were uncommonly associated with a hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS; 17%), and had a favorable prognosis (5-year overall survival [OS]: 82%). SPTL-AB patients without HPS had a significantly better survival than patients with HPS (5-year OS: 91% vs 46%; P<.001). SPTL-GDs often showed (epi)dermal involvement and/or ulceration, a CD4-, CD8-, CD56+/-, betaF1- T-cell phenotype, and poor prognosis (5-year OS: 11%), irrespective of the presence of HPS or type of treatment. These results indicate that SPTL-AB and SPTL-GD are distinct entities, and justify that the term SPTL should further be used only for SPTL-AB. SPTL-ABs without associated HPS have an excellent prognosis, and multiagent chemotherapy as first choice of treatment should be questioned.

The role of sun exposure in development of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas among different populations from south Europe was investigated. Between 1989 and 1993 we interviewed incident cases and a random population sample of controls from five centres where a cancer registry was operating, whereas we selected a sample of hospital-based cases and controls from the other three centres. We gathered information on life-long exposure to sunlight during different activities. Results are analysed for 1549 basal cell carcinoma (BCC) cases and 228 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cases compared with 1795 controls. We observed a statistically significant increase of risk of SCC with increasing sun exposure beyond a threshold of 70,000 cumulated hours of exposure in a lifetime. Sun exposures during work and holidays were, however, inversely correlated. Odds ratios (ORs) of SCC were up to eight or nine times the reference for the highest exposures (200,000 cumulated hours or more). BCC exhibited a 2-fold increase of risk for lower exposure (8000-10,000 cumulated hours in a lifetime) with a plateau and a slight decrease of risk for the highest exposures (100,000 cumulated hours or more). Outdoor work showed a significantly increased risk of SCC (OR 1.6 for more than 54,000 cumulated hours of exposure in a lifetime), whereas recreational activities such as sun exposure during holidays at the beach (OR 1.6 for more than 2600 cumulated hours of exposure in a lifetime) or during water sports (OR 1.6 for more than 2600 cumulated hours of exposure in a lifetime) were associated with an increased risk of BCC. Risk patterns were different in poor or good tanners with a significant risk trend for good tanners, whereas poor tanners were on a plateau of increased risk at any level of exposure. Solar radiation is associated with a risk of BCC even for relatively short periods of exposure such as during holidays and sports, whereas SCC develops later if exposure continues. The skin's ability to tan modulates the risk of BCC; subjects who tan poorly have a steady risk increase, whereas people who tan easily develop cancer only after prolonged exposures.