Pre-Sézary erythroderma evolving to Sézary syndrome. A report of seven cases.

Seven patients with pre-Sézary erythroderma were followed up for three to 16 years as Sézary erythroderma syndrome developed. With the transition, the clinical and skin manifestations of the disease became chronic, more florid, and more resistant to therapy. Four patients had multiple contact allergies or drug reactions, and one patient had severe atopic dermatitis. Lymphoma developed in one patient, and multiple myeloma developed in a second patient. An increased absolute number of Sézary cells to more than 1,000/cu mm occurred in all patients with Sézary syndrome. Histologic study showed chronic dermatitis in most patients with the pre-Sézary condition and subepidermal lymphocytic band inflammation in most patients with the Sézary syndrome.