A PRIMARY CUTANEOUS NON-T, NON-B CD4(+), CD56(+) LYMPHOMA

Background: Cutaneous lymphomas are heterogeneous clonal lymphoprolife rative disorders originating from B or T lymphocytes. Observation: We describe a patient with a unique primary cutaneous lymphoma characteri zed by a bruise-like aspect of the skin lesions, a CD4(+), CD43(+), CD 56(+), CD2(-), CD3(-), CD8(-), T-cell receptor-negative phenotype of t he medium-sized to large lymphoid tumor cells and an undetermined geno type (T-cell receptor beta and immunoglobulin heavy chain in germline configuration, no clonal T-cell receptor gamma population as detected after analysis with polymerase chain reaction combined with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) and fast relapse after radiotherapy. Co nclusions: This non-B, non-T cutaneous lymphoma cannot be classified b y any current lymphoma classification. It seems to represent a new dis ease entity with peculiar clinical, histologic, and molecular features .