EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS-ASSOCIATED LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE ERUPTION WITH PROGRESSION TO LARGE GRANULAR LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA

A 13-year-old Korean girl gave a 9-year history of recurrent necrotizi ng papules and vesicles on the face, scalp and extremities. Skin biops y specimens showed an atypical lymphoreticular infiltrate with vasculi tis in the dermis and subcutis. In situ hybridization demonstrated lat ent infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) of the lymphoid cells in the dermis. The disease was diagnosed as an EBV-associated lymphoprolifer ative skin eruption presenting as recurrent necrotic papulovesicles, T he patient subsequently developed large granular lymphocytic leukaemia of natural killer cell origin. Our observations suggest that a patien t with an EBV-associated lymphoproliferative skill eruption presenting with recurrent necrotic papulovesicles might progress to develop leuk aemia as well as lymphoma.