Skin manifestation of mantle cell lymphoma.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a distinct type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that commonly affects extranodal sites. The most commonly affected sites are bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract and Waldeyer's ring, however, skin is rarely involved. We reported a 62-year-old Japanese patient with MCL, exhibiting multiple small dome-shaped red nodules and skin ulcers. Histopathological examination demonstrated numerous atypical lymphoid cells in the dermis and subcutis. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for CD20 (L26), CD5, CD43 and cyclin D1, but negative for CD45RO (UCHL-1), CD3, CD10 and CD23. Our patient showed a significant improvement of skin lesions and lymphadenopathy with a combination chemotherapy. Awareness of skin manifestations of MCL is essential for dermatologists to establish an early diagnosis and perform appropriate treatment.