Everything you need to know about cutaneous T-cell lymphoma:check it out

This type of lymphoma first affects the skin and then spread to other parts of the body. Signs of the disease are dark, itchy patches on the skin, which gradually transformed to mushroom shaped tumors.

In this type of cancer of the white blood cells are responsible for the disease. T-lymphocytes (T-helper cells) develop uncontrollable way to penetrate the epidermal layer of the skin and cause damage to the predominantly located in the trunk. After some time the lesions to transform tangible plaques with defined edges and then to the mushroom-shaped tumors. Finally, a tumor in the lymph nodes, and then spread to other parts of the body. The internal organs are affected by the 20-30% of patients who have this disease.

The specific form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is Sézary syndrome. Symptoms of this disease are: overall redness of the skin, a small bumpy tumors and skin is atrophied. Physical examination, the doctors see that have swollen lymph nodes and discover an increased number of malignant lymphocytes.

The disease predominantly affects men than women, at the age of 55 or 60; each year there are new cases appeared in the US, more than 500 registered 100-200 deaths. Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is considered a rare affection, in the US, the annual incidence is about 29 cases per 100 000 persons.

The scientist first suspected that pesticides and chemicals have caused the disease, but after carrying out the research believe that virus leads to cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. This hypothesis is not 100% confirmed.

In General, patients go to the doctor because they have an itchy red skin zone, that's for some time. If the disease has spread beyond the skin, the patient would feel his swollen lymph nodes.

Usually itchy skin patches can be easily mistaken for other skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema and contact dermatitis. Doctors prescribe the treatment of corticosteroid and in some cases skin lesions to respond favourably to the patient's disease a few years until the real affection; Then it's too late.

If the doctor is inspired to perform a biopsy of the affected areas could diagnose the disease earlier and treatment would be quickly initiated. For the study of tissue there you can see the abnormal cells and the Southern blot analysis will be there to observe the changes in the gene encodes a receptor of T-cells. Biopsy is the most accurate method of diagnosis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, therefore all doctors must request it when suspicion of such diseases.