Dermatoscopic Patterns in Mycosis Fungoides: Observations from a Case-Series Retrospective Analysis and a Review of the Literature

TL;DR

This study examines dermoscopic patterns in mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome, finding vascular features but limited diagnostic utility for staging.

Contribution

The study identifies dermoscopic features in MF/SS and highlights inconsistencies in terminology and reproducibility across studies.

Findings

Vascular structures were the most common dermoscopic features in MF/SS, with linear and dotted vessels being prevalent.

No significant correlations were found between dermoscopic features and disease stage or lesion type.

Literature review revealed inconsistent terminology and non-standardized descriptors across studies.

Abstract

Background: Dermoscopy, a non-invasive diagnostic technique, is being increasingly used to evaluate cutaneous T-cell lymphomas such as mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS). However, its diagnostic accuracy and role in staging remain underexplored. Objective: This study aimed to assess the dermoscopic patterns in MF and SS, correlating the findings with the disease stage and lesion type to evaluate dermoscopy’s diagnostic utility. Methods: A retrospective, monocentric analysis was conducted on patients with histologically confirmed MF or SS. Dermoscopic images were evaluated for vascular patterns, pigmentation, scaling, and keratin plugs. The statistical analysis assessed the correlations between these dermoscopic features and the TNMB staging and lesion type. A literature review was also performed to contextualize the findings, focusing on studies describing dermoscopic features in MF based on retrospective, prospective, and cross-sectional data. Results: The study included 30 patients with histologically confirmed MF or SS (19 males and 11 females; mean age: 64.5 years). The dermoscopic evaluation revealed that all the lesions were pigment-free, with vascular structures as the predominant feature. Linear vessels (40%) and serpentine vessels (13.3%) were the most frequently observed, along with dotted vessels (36.7%) and clods (10%). The vessel distribution was diffuse (40%) or perifollicular (36.7%), with a predominant red (56.7%) or orange (40%) background. Scaling was present in 76.7% of cases, either diffuse (40%) or perifollicular (36.7%), and keratin plugs were detected in 40% of the lesions. No statistically significant correlations were found between dermoscopic features and the TNMB stage or lesion type (p > 0.05). A cluster analysis identified two patient groups with differing vascular and scaling features but no clear association with disease stage. The literature review identified studies that commonly reported features in MF dermoscopy, including fine, short linear vessels and an orange-yellow background, particularly in early-stage MF. Spermatozoa-like structures have been marked as highly specific for diagnosing MF. Some studies also suggested a transition in vascular morphology from linear vessels in early disease to branched vessels and ulceration in advanced stages. Conclusions: Our results showed some vascular patterns have some potential but lack sensitivity for staging MF and SS. The terminology used and the reproducibility of our results compared to those reported in the literature showed little consistency, with none of our cases showing spermatozoa-like structures. Moreover, the same issues with the use of non-reproducible terminology were noted across the studies because it is not standardized and due to different incongruent dermoscopic patterns. More significant prospective studies with standardized descriptors and larger groups are needed to refine its diagnostic and staging utility.

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