Update on erythrodermic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: Report of the International Society for Cutaneous Lymphomas

Two conferences were sponsored by the International Society for Cutaneous Lymphomas (ISCL) to gain consensus on definitions and terminology for clinical use in erythrodermic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (E-CTCL.). Three subsets of E-CTCL were defined: Sezary syndrome ("leukemic phase" E-CTCL), erythrodermic mycosis fungoides (secondary E-CTCL that develops in patients with mycosis fungoides), and E-CTCL, not otherwise defined. The hematologic criteria recommended for Sezary syndrome are intended to identify patients with a worse prognosis compared with the other E-CTCL subsets and consist of one or more of the following: (1) an absolute Sezary cell count of 1000 cells/mm(3) or more; (2) a CD4/CD8 ratio of 10 or higher caused by an increase in circulating T cells and/or an aberrant loss or expression of pan-T cell markers by flow cytometry; (3) increased lymphocyte counts with evidence of a T-cell clone in the blood by the Southern blot or polymerase chain reaction technique; or (4) a chromosomally abnormal T-cell clone. For staging purposes, it is proposed that these criteria define the B2 blood rating and that the B2 rating be considered equivalent to nodal involvement. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2002;46:95-106.)