CUTANEOUS VASCULITIS IN NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

Cutaneous vasculitis has been described in association with various he matological malignancies, but it seems to be very uncommon among non H odgkin's lymphomas (NHL). For this reason no attention has been given to the peculiarity of this rare association. We identified 5 cases of cutaneous vasculitis among 315 NHL patients examined at our Institutio n from 1984 through 1990 and after the appearance of vasculitis, we ob served some heterogeneity in either the degree of activity or in the c linical outcome of the NHL. The onset of cutaneous vasculitis appeared to mark two different clinical patterns: a vasculitis present from di agnosis characterized an indolent course of the neoplasia, while a lat e-appearing vasculitis was followed by rapid lymphoma progression and short survival.