Subcutaneous Panniculitislike T-Cell Lymphoma
Subcutaneous panniculitislike T-cell lymphoma is a cutaneous lymphoma of α and β phenotype cytotoxic T cells in which the neoplastic cells are found almost exclusively in the subcutaneous layer and resemble a panniculitis. The differential diagnosis includes α1-antitrypsin deficiency panniculitis, erythema induratum, infectious panniculitis, and lupus erythematosus panniculitis.
|
Figure 4. Erythema induratum is characterized by a lobular panniculitis (A and B)(both H&E, original magnifications ×40 and ×200). Vascular changes (arrowhead) are present in a majority of cases with endothelial swelling and extravasation of erythrocytes (C)(H&E, original magnification ×400). |
|
| Figure 5. Neutrophilic panniculitis that can be seen in α1-antitrypsin deficiency panniculitis (H&E, original magnification ×400). |
|
Figure 6. Infectious panniculitis secondary to Cryptococcus showing a granulomatous reaction in the subcutis (A)(H&E, original magnification ×40). Closer inspection shows a dense infiltrate of chronic inflammatory cells including numerous histiocytes and multinucleated giant cells. Some of the giant cells contain refractile organisms (arrowhead)(B)(H&E, original magnification ×400). Mucicarmine histochemical stain highlights the capsule of the organism (C)(original magnification ×400). |
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to thank Drake Poeschl, MD, St. Louis, Missouri, for proofreading the manuscript.
