©2006 by Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia

Abstract: The cutaneous NKT/cell lymphomas are a group of extranodal lymphoproliferative disorders currently classified and subdivided based on their clinical behavior, according to a consensus reached between the World Health Organization and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. The cutaneous NKT/cell lymphomas of indolent clinical behavior comprise the classical mycosis fungoides, folliculotropic mycosis fungoides, pagetoid reticulosis, granulomatous slack skin, pri-mary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma, lymphomatoid papulosis, subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma and primary cutaneous CD4+ small/medium-sized pleomorphic T-cell lymphoma. The aggressive clinical behavior cutaneous NKT/cell lymphomas include Sézary syndrome, extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, primary cutaneous aggressive epi-dermotropic CD8+T-cell lymphoma, cutaneous gamma-delta T-cell lymphoma and primary cutaneous peripheral T-cell lym-phoma, unspecified. The adult T-cell leukemia lymphoma and CD4+ CD56+ hematodermic neoplasm are considered systemic lymphomas but are addressed in this article for their initial cutaneous manifestations in a significant number of patients. The diagnosis of these processes is based on histological examination complemented by phenotypic analysis of neoplastic cells, which is essential for classification. The recommended staging is based on type and extension of cutaneous involvement, clini-cal conditions and histological examination of lymph nodes and organs. Hematological assessment is fundamental to charac-terize Sézary syndrome. The recommended therapies include exclusively cutaneous treatment, biological response modifier