Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, multilobated type

Three cases of a new type of lymphoma of the skin are described. Clinical manifestations were the development of papules, nodules and tumours which slowly progressed in size and extent in one region of the skin of elderly men. Dissemination to a regional lymph node occurred in only one. Histopathologically the lesions demonstrated a variably perivascular or diffuse dermal infiltrate often with a nodular configuration and sparing the epidermis and a clear subepidermal zone. The infiltrates were dominated by abnormal lymphoid cells with irregular nuclei and blast cells exhibiting a characteristic combination of multilobated nuclei with marginal nucleoli. By immunological and enzyme cytochemical methods the cells were identified as T lymphocytes. It is suggested that the cases described represent different parts of spectrum running from lymphocytoma cutis-like conditions to disseminated malignant lymphoma.