Volume 2 • Issue 3 • 1000167
Pigmentary Disorders
ISSN: 2376-0427 JPD, hybrid open access journal
Mateeva and Kadurina, Pigmentary Disorders 2015, 2:3
DOI: 10.4172/2376-0427.1000167
Case Report Open Access
Clinical, Histological and Immunohistochemical Changes in Hypopigmented
Mycosis Fungoides in Response to Narrow-Band UVB Phototherapy
Valeria Mateeva* and Miroslava Kadurina
Military Medical Academy Sofa, Bulgaria
*Corresponding author: Valeria Mateeva, 3, Gueorgui Sofiski, 1606 Sofa,
Bulgaria, Tel: +359898631210, E-mail: vali_mateeva@hotmail.com
Received February 23, 2015; Accepted February 28, 2015; Published March 03,
2015
Citation: Mateeva V, Kadurina M (2015) Clinical, Histological and
Immunohistochemical Changes in Hypopigmented Mycosis Fungoides in
Response to Narrow-Band UVB Phototherapy. Pigmentary Disorders 2: 167.
doi:10.4172/2376-0427.1000167
Copyright: © 2015 Mateeva V, et al. This is an open-access article distributed
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original author and source are credited.
Case
A 26- year old Caucasian woman of Bulgarian descent presented
at our department with multiple disseminated hypopigmented
macules on the trunk and extremities since more than 4 years (Figure
1A). Te diferential diagnosis included: vitiligo, pityriasis vesicolor
and Mycosis fungoides- hypopigmented type. A punch biopsy was
performed and histological examination revealed exocytosis of atypical
lymphocytes with larger hyperchromic nuclei (Figure 1B). A punch
biopsy from normally looking skin was taken and the histological and
immunohistochemical examination showed pigment incontinence and
epidermotropisme of single atypical, CD3+CD4+ lymphocytes. Clinical
and histological diagnosis of Mycosis fungoides- hypopigmented
variant has been established.
A Narrow Band Ultraviolet B- Treatment (NB- UVB) has been
initiated according to the phototherapy protocol at our clinic with
4 sessions/ weekly with initial dose of 0.3 J/cm
2
and incensement of
the dose with 0,05 at each session. A total number of 27 sessions have
been performed and complete clinical response (disappearance of all
existing lesions for at least one month) has been achieved afer the
22
st
session (Figure 1C). Total UV dose was 17.5 J/ cm
2
and complete
clinical response was achieved at a dose of 11.85 J/ cm
2
. No maintenance
phototherapy has been administered according to the protocol.
Skin biopsy afer the end of the treatment taken from clinically
cleared past lesion revealed fewer than initially, but still present, CD3+
T- cells, mostly CD4+, with large atypical hyperchromic nuclei in the
epidermis (Figure 1D). Exocytosis of atypical lymphocytes with larger
hyperchromic nuclei were still present in fewer numbers than initially,
marking a partial histological response to the therapy.
Te disease- free interval was 3,5 months. Te patient presented
with multiple hypopigmented lesions on her tights.
Discussion
Te hypopigmented variant of Mycosis fungoides is rare among
Caucasians and data about the efcacy and safety of NB- UVB
treatment are scarce. Te lower cumulative dose (17.5 J/cm
2
) and
the rapid complete response to treatment (afer 22 sessions, or afer
a dose of 11.85 J/cm
2
) in comparison to previously published studies
in the literature (from 27.1- 59.6 J/cm
2
) [1]. Another study revealed
even higher number of sessions required for complete remission
of hypopigmented mycosis fungoides in Asian patients (average 40
sessions) [2]. Tis signifcant diference could possibly be associated
with the Caucasian origin of the patient and the fare skin type III
according to Fitzpatrick, which could be sensitive to lower doses UVB
in comparison to the Asian population with hypopigmented mycosis
fungoides.
Te phototherapy protocol we used difers from the currently
described protocol in Asians [1]. Te more ofen (4 times/ weekly
compared to the previously published twice/ weekly) regiment
could ofer more rapid remission at a lower cumulative UV- dose.
Nevertheless the short remission time (3.5 months) compared to a
previously reported (2 months 6 years) disease- free period suggests
CD3
CD4
CD8
CD30
CD3 CD4
CD8
CD30
Figure 1: Clinical and histological response and change in immunohistochemical
expression pattern following 22 procedures Narrowband UVN phototherapy-
A-B: clinical and histological picture before treatment; C-D: complete clinical
response following 22 procedures Narrow-band UVB phototherapy and partial
histological response with reduction of the CD3CD4-positive epidermotropic
lymphocytes.
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World Health Academy
ISSN: 2376-0427
Journal of Pigmentary Disorders