Utility of clonal T-cell rearrangement study in the diagnosis of early mycosis fungoides

Abstract

To the Editor: The diagnosis of early mycosis fungoides (MF) is challenging, as clinical and histopathologic presentation can mimic inflammatory dermatoses. In 2005, the International Society for Cutaneous Lymphoma (ISCL) established a clinicopathologic algorithm for the diagnosis of early MF based on clinical, histopathologic, molecular, and immunopathologic criteria, requiring a total of 4 points (Table I).1 One criterion, the clonal T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement analysis, represents a significant cost in the workup of early MF and is often unavailable in-house.