Mycosis fungoides in an 11 year-old child: a case report

Abstract

Primary cutaneous lymphomas are quite rare in children. Clinical and histopathological manifestations of these diseases in children differ significantly from those in adults. Due to their rarity and complex clinical presentation, diagnosis may take long time. Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most commonly diagnosed form of primary cutaneous lymphomas in childhood. There are no clinical guidelines for the treatment of children. Literature data on MF variants in children are scarce; the largest study includes 34 patients who were diagnosed on average 4 years after the onset of the first symptoms. In the present article we describe a clinical case of MF in an 11-year-old child with an 8-year history of multiple lesions of the skin and scalp. The patient's parents gave their consent to the use of their child's data, including photographs, for research purposes and in publications. The aim of our article is to demonstrate the problems in the diagnosis of the disease, especially at an early stage, because its symptoms may be similar to those of many common pediatric inflammatory skin conditions.