PARAPSORIASIS IN 2 CHILDREN - A CLINICAL, IMMUNOPHENOTYPIC, AND IMMUNOGENOTYPIC STUDY

Parapsoriasis has been described rarely in childhood; a few reports me ntion this condition as preceding early mycosis fungoides. We report a boy age 15 and a girl age 8 years with different clinical features of parapsoriasis who were followed clinically and histologically for abo ut four years. Immunophenotyping of the skin infiltrate and a T cell r eceptor gene rearrangement analysis were performed on each. The infilt rate was composed mainly of CD4+ and CD45+ lymphocytes in the first pa tient and of CD8+ and CD45+ in the second. No T cell receptor gene rea rrangements were found. The paucity of knowledge about the evolution o f this entity in childhood and its relationship to mycosis fungoides m akes follow-up critical. The importance of immunophenotyping and immun ogenotyping is particularly stressed.