Asymptomatic bone marrow involvement in patients presenting with cutaneous marginal zone B-cell lymphoma

Abstract

Conflicts of interest: none declared. Sir, Marginal zone B‐cell lymphoma (MZL) is one of the most frequent B‐cell lymphomas of the skin. In the recent WHO–EORTC classification primary cutaneous B‐cell lymphoma is defined as lymphoma involving the skin with no evidence of extracutaneous disease at the time of diagnosis.1 An MZL located to the skin can be a primary cutaneous MZL (PCMZL) or a secondary cutaneous spread of a disseminated MZL. We aimed to determine the initial presentations and outcomes for our patients presenting with a skin lesion of MZL. Patients who were registered in our dermatopathological database between January 2000 and June 2006 and for whom the diagnosis of MZL was retained were studied. Five other patients had a diagnosis of extracutaneous MZL before the onset of cutaneous lesions (not analysed in clinical results). Biopsy specimens were reviewed by two pathologists (B.B., F.B.) using criteria of the WHO–EORTC classification of cutaneous lymphoma. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of IgH gene found clonal rearrangement in 31 of 39 cases (79%).