This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (26)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related article  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Dermatology, Other  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Sherry Shieh, MD; Debra L. Mikkola, MS; Gary S. Wood, MD

Arch Dermatol. 2001;137:305-308.

Background  Pityriasis lichenoides chronica (PLC) and pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta (PLEVA) are benign T-cell diseases that share several overlapping clinicopathologic features, leading many to believe that they exist as a spectrum rather than as single entities. Previous molecular studies have shown that PLEVA is a clonal lymphoproliferative disorder. To further characterize the immunohistologic features of PLC and to determine whether PLC demonstrates clonality, we studied 6 cases of PLC using a frozen section–immunoperoxidase technique and polymerase chain reaction/denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.

Observations  All 6 cases showed a mild to moderate superficial and deep perivascular infiltrate composed predominantly of CD4⁺ T cells, admixed with Langerhans cells and macrophages; most were associated with an HLA-DR⁺ epidermis. Three of 6 cases involved monoclonal T-cell receptor gamma (TCR) gene rearrangements detected by V1-8/J1-2 and V9/J1-2 primers.

Conclusions  Our findings enhance existing data showing that PLC shares many immunohistologic features with PLEVA and indicating that PLC is frequently a clonal T-cell disease. This provides further evidence that PLC and PLEVA are interrelated processes within the larger group of T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders.

From the Departments of Internal Medicine (Dr Shieh) and Dermatology (Ms Mikkola), Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals of Cleveland, and the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio; and the Department of Medicine (Dermatology), University of Wisconsin and Middleton Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Dr Wood), Madison.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

RELATED ARTICLE

Archives of Dermatology Reader's Choice: Continuing Medical Education
Arch Dermatol. 2001;137(3):393.
FULL TEXT  

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Detection of Clonal T Cells in the Circulation of Patients With Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis
Kreuter et al.
Arch Dermatol 2009;145:1164-1169.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Lichen Aureus: Clinicopathologic Features, Natural History, and Relationship to Mycosis Fungoides
Fink-Puches et al.
Arch Dermatol 2008;144:1169-1173.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Clonal Nature of Pityriasis Lichenoides
Weinberg et al.
Arch Dermatol 2002;138:1063-1067.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

T-Cell Clonality in Pityriasis Lichenoides: Evidence for a Premalignant or Reactive Immune Disorder?
Kadin
Arch Dermatol 2002;138:1089-1090.
FULL TEXT  

Is PLC a Clonal T-Cell Lymphoproliferative Disorder?
Journal Watch Dermatology 2001;2001:1-1.
FULL TEXT