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Mycosis fungoides is a rare type of lymphoma that affects the skin, causing white blood cells to attack it. It can manifest as a red rash and progress through different stages, including the formation of tumors. Diagnosis involves a thorough examination and skin samples or biopsies. Treatment includes topical creams and light therapy.
Mycosis fungoides is a type of lymphoma that affects the skin in a form of cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). In this condition, white blood cells called lymphocytes begin attacking the skin; it often first manifests itself as a simple red rash. Difficult to cure, a diagnosis of mycosis fungoides usually results in palliative care and perhaps years of living with the disease. CTCL is a rare type of cancer that affects 5 to 10 of every million people and is not hereditary or infectious.
In a healthy body, the bone marrow produces immature blood stem cells that develop into myeloid stem cells or lymphoid stem cells. Lymphoid stem cells become lymphoblasts before specializing into one of the lymphocyte types. These lymphocytes produce the antibodies needed by the immune system to fight infections. In mycosis fungoides, these white blood cells become cancerous and malignant. They attack both the skin and the blood circulating in the body.
There are several stages that mycosis fungoides can go through and one or all of them can manifest. The prefungal phase is often not diagnosed as mycosis fungoides, as it manifests as a scaly red rash over parts of the body typically covered by clothing. In the patch stage, the rash becomes reddish patches that may resemble eczema, while the rash becomes thickened and redder in the plaque stage. In the cancer stage, usually the last to develop, tumors form on the skin. These tumors can become ulcerative and the sores can become infected.
An advanced form of mycosis fungoides is known as Sezary syndrome, which affects skin all over the body. When an individual is diagnosed with mycosis fungoides, it does not mean that the condition will progress into Sezary syndrome. The red spots characteristic of different stages are often found simultaneously and can include ulcerative tumors.
Diagnosis often begins with a visit to the dermatologist for a more thorough examination of the red spots which are usually the first signs that something is wrong. While it’s easy to misdiagnose the condition as eczema or psoriasis, blood tests and taking skin samples or biopsies will indicate the correct diagnosis. Once diagnosed, topical treatments such as lotions and creams can be used to relieve the discomfort of itching and redness, while different types of light therapy can be effective in slowing the growth of cancer cells.
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