Immunophenotypic shift from CD4(+) to CD8(+) in mycosis fungoides.

A 46-year-old Japanese man had suffered from multiple slightly scaly erythematous patches on his flanks, hips, and thighs for about 20 years, and had received no medical treatment. The patient noticed a small red nodule on the posterior aspect of his right thigh, which increased in size and ulcerated rapidly over the course of 1 year. The tumour was 4 cm in diameter forming a central ulcer with yellow and black necrotic tissue (Figs. 1A and B). A biopsy specimen taken from an erythematous patch showed atypical T cell infiltration with epidermotropism and multiple Pautrier's microabscesses (Fig. 2A). These cells were positive for CD3 and CD4, but not for CD8 and CD30 (Figs. 2B-D and data not shown). The condition was diagnosed as mycosis fungoides (MF). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.