Case Report
BibTex RIS Cite

Egzamanın Ötesinde: İmmünosenesens Perspektifinden Mikozis Fungoides Olgusu

Year 2026, Volume: 43 Issue: 1 , 113 - 117 , 01.04.2026
https://izlik.org/JA82NL82JR

Abstract

Eritroderma, vücut yüzeyinin %90’ından fazlasını tutan yaygın eritem ve skuam (pullanma) ile karakterize ciddi bir dermatolojik tablodur. Altta yatan etiyoloji oldukça geniş bir yelpazeye sahiptir; psöriazis, atopik dermatit, kontakt dermatit, ilaçlar ve maligniteler en sık nedenler arasındadır. Eritroderma olgularının yaklaşık %30’u idiyopatiktir. Bununla birlikte, başlangıçta nedeni belirlenemeyen bazı idiyopatik olgularda, takip sürecinde tekrarlanan biyopsilerle altta yatan neden ortaya konabilir. Mikozis fungoides (MF), deri T-hücreli lenfomalarının en sık görülen alt tipidir ve kutanöz lenfomaların yaklaşık %40’ını oluşturur. MF, çok farklı klinik görünümlerle birçok dermatozu taklit edebilir, bu da tanıyı güçleştirir. Nadir olarak eritroderma şeklinde de prezente olabilir.

Burada, fleksural bölgeler, gövde, boyun ve saçlı deride altı aydır süren kronik deskuamasyonlu plaklarla başvuran 62 yaşında bir erkek hasta sunulmaktadır. Hastada yüksek total serum IgE düzeyi ve aslan yüzü (leonine face) görünümü mevcuttu. Bilinen bir deri hastalığı öyküsü yoktu; atopi veya malignite açısından tıbbi öyküsü belirgin değildi. İlk histopatoloji raporu erişkin başlangıçlı atopik dermatit (AD) ile uyumlu bulundu ve hasta bu doğrultuda tedavi edildi. Ancak, atopik dermatit öyküsünün bulunmaması ve lezyonların hızlı nüks etmesi nedeniyle yeniden biyopsi yapıldı. İkinci biyopsi sonucunda mikozis fungoides tanısı kondu.

Atopik dermatit ile benzer klinik özellikler gösteren yaşlı hastalarda senil eritroderma olgularında, yalnızca AD’ye özgü olmayan bu bulguların diğer olası nedenlerinin göz ardı edilmemesi büyük önem taşır. Yaşlanmayla birlikte gözlenen immünosenesens ve göreceli Th2 baskınlığı, deri hastalığı öyküsü olmayan yaşlı bireylerde görülen idiyopatik eritrodermayı açıklayabilir. Bu durum, AD-benzeri klinik tabloya katkıda bulunmanın yanı sıra gelecekte MF gelişimi açısından da risk göstergesi olabilir. Bu nedenle, seri biyopsilerle dikkatli ve yakın klinik takip son derece önemlidir.

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışma, kurum içi ve ulusal araştırma kurullarının etik standartlarına ve 1964 Helsinki Bildirgesi ile 2013 yılında yapılan son revizyonuna uygun olarak yürütülmüştür. Hastadan çalışmaya katılımı ve klinik veriler ile görüntülerin yayımlanması için yazılı bilgilendirilmiş onam alınmıştır. Yazarlar, hastanın kimliğinin gizliliğinin korunduğunu ve çalışma süresince insan araştırmalarına ilişkin tüm etik ilkelerin titizlikle uygulandığını beyan ederler.

Supporting Institution

yok

Thanks

yok

References

  • Sehgal VN, Srivastava G, Sardana K. Erythroderma/exfoliative dermatitis: a synopsis. Int J Dermatol. 2004;43(1):39-47. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2004.01975.x.
  • Nakano-Tahara M, Terao M, Nishioka M, Kitaba S, Murota H, Katayama I. T helper 2 polarization in senile erythroderma with elevated levels of TARC and IgE. Dermatology. 2015;230(1):62-9.
  • Pallazola VA, Deib G, Abha S, Geha RM, Kobayashi K. An elusive case of mycosis fungoides: case report and review of the literature. J Gen Intern Med. 2019;34(11):2669-74. doi:10.1007/s11606-019-05231-z.
  • Lebas E, Collins P, Somja J, Nikkels AF. A comprehensive update of the atypical, rare and mimicking presentations of mycosis fungoides. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2021;11(6):1931-51. doi:10.1007/s13555-021-00625-6.
  • Vonderheid EC. On the diagnosis of erythrodermic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. J Cutan Pathol. 2006;33 Suppl 1:27-42. doi:10.1111/j.0303-6987.2006.00541.x.
  • Jindal N, Jindal P, Kumar J, et al. Animals eponyms in dermatology. Indian J Dermatol. 2014;59(6):631-4.
  • Guglielmo A, Patrizi A, Bardazzi F, Pileri A. Erythroderma: psoriasis or lymphoma? A diagnostic challenge and therapeutic pitfall. Ital J Dermatol Venereol. 2022;157(2):154-7. doi:10.23736/S2784-8671.21.06891-7.
  • Wilson DC, Jester JD, King LE Jr. Erythroderma and exfoliative dermatitis. Clin Dermatol. 1993;11(1):67-72.
  • Ram-Wolff C, Martin-Garcia N, Bensussan A, Bagot M, Ortonne N. Histopathologic diagnosis of lymphomatous versus inflammatory erythroderma: a morphologic and phenotypic study on 47 skin biopsies. Am J Dermatopathol. 2010;32(8):755-63. doi:10.1097/DAD.0b013e3181cfbfbf.
  • Walsh NMG, Prokopetz R, Tron VA, et al. Histopathology in erythroderma: review of a series of cases by multiple observers. J Cutan Pathol. 1994;21(5):419-25.
  • Zip C, Murray S, Walsh NMG. The specificity of histopathology in erythroderma. J Cutan Pathol. 1993;20(5):393-8.
  • Megna M, Sidikov AA, Zaslavsky DV, Chuprov IN, Timoshchuk EA, Egorova U, et al. The role of histological presentation in erythroderma. Int J Dermatol. 2017;56(4):400-4. doi:10.1111/ijd.13488.
  • Botella-Estrada R, Sanmartín O, Oliver V, Febrer I, Aliaga A. Erythroderma: a clinicopathological study of 56 cases. Arch Dermatol. 1994;130(12):1503-7. doi:10.1001/archderm.130.12.1503.
  • Kakinuma T, Nakamura K, Wakugawa M, et al. Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine in atopic dermatitis: serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine level is closely related with disease activity. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;107(3):535-41.
  • Fulop T, Larbi A, Dupuis G, Le Page A, Frost EH, Cohen AA, et al. Immunosenescence and inflamm-aging as two sides of the same coin: friends or foes? Front Immunol. 2018;8:1960. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2017.01960
  • Hwang KA, Kim HR, Kang I. Aging and human CD4(+) regulatory T cells. Mech Ageing Dev. 2009;130(8):509-17.
  • Gregg R, Smith CM, Clark FJ, et al. The number of human peripheral blood CD4+CD25high regulatory T cells increases with age. Clin Exp Immunol. 2005;140(3):540-6.
  • Mediaty A, Neuber K. Total and specific serum IgE decreases with age in patients with allergic rhinitis, asthma and insect allergy but not in patients with atopic dermatitis. Immun Ageing. 2005;2(1):9.
  • Asai T, Horiuchi Y. Senile erythroderma with serum hyper-IgE. Int J Dermatol. 1989;28(4):255-8.
  • Alkon N, Chennareddy S, Cohenour ER, Ruggiero JR, Stingl G, Bangert C, et al. Single-cell sequencing delineates T- cell clonality and pathogenesis of the parapsoriasis disease group. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2025;155(2):461–78.
  • Howell MD, Kim BE, Gao P, et al. Cytokine modulation of atopic dermatitis filaggrin skin expression. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007;120(1):150-5.

When eczema isn’t eczema: Unmasking mycosis fungoides in an elderly patient through the lens of immunosenescence

Year 2026, Volume: 43 Issue: 1 , 113 - 117 , 01.04.2026
https://izlik.org/JA82NL82JR

Abstract

Erythroderma is a severe dermatological manifestation referring to diffuse erythema and scaling involving ≥90% of the body surface area. The underlying etiology ranges widely, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, drugs, and malignancy. Up to 30% of the eryhtroderma cases are idiopathic. However, the underlying etiology of some of the idiopathic cases might be identified during the follow-up period by obtaining serial biopsies. Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common subtype of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, accounting for almost 40% of the cutaneous lymphomas. MF can mimic many dermatoses by various presentations, making its diagnosis challenging. Rarely, it can present with eryhtroderma.

Here, we present a 62-year-old male patient presenting with 6-month-long chronic desquamating plaques predilecting for flexural areas, trunk, neck, and hairy scalp. He had high total serum IgE and leonine-like facial features. He had no known skin disease; his medical history for atopy and malignancy was unremarkable. His initial histopathology report revealed adult-onset atopic dermatitis (AD), and he was treated accordingly. However, considering the lack of AD history and the fast recurrence of the lesions lead we re-biopsied the lesions. The second biopsy revealed mycosis fungoides.

It is paramount not to disregard other possible causes of senile erythroderma in patients presenting with common features of atopic dermatitis, especially in the elderly without a history of atopic dermatitis, since they are not solely specific to AD. Immunesenesence and relative Th2 dominance observed as aging might explain the idiopathic eryhtroderma seen most frequently in elderly patients with no history of skin diseases. In addition to contributing to the AD-like clinic, it might also signal future risk for the development of MF, so close follow-up with serial biopsies is crucial.

Ethical Statement

This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committees and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments (revised 2013). Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for participation in the study and for the publication of clinical data and images. The authors affirm that patient anonymity has been preserved and that all ethical principles for human research were followed throughout the study.

Supporting Institution

none

Thanks

none

References

  • Sehgal VN, Srivastava G, Sardana K. Erythroderma/exfoliative dermatitis: a synopsis. Int J Dermatol. 2004;43(1):39-47. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2004.01975.x.
  • Nakano-Tahara M, Terao M, Nishioka M, Kitaba S, Murota H, Katayama I. T helper 2 polarization in senile erythroderma with elevated levels of TARC and IgE. Dermatology. 2015;230(1):62-9.
  • Pallazola VA, Deib G, Abha S, Geha RM, Kobayashi K. An elusive case of mycosis fungoides: case report and review of the literature. J Gen Intern Med. 2019;34(11):2669-74. doi:10.1007/s11606-019-05231-z.
  • Lebas E, Collins P, Somja J, Nikkels AF. A comprehensive update of the atypical, rare and mimicking presentations of mycosis fungoides. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2021;11(6):1931-51. doi:10.1007/s13555-021-00625-6.
  • Vonderheid EC. On the diagnosis of erythrodermic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. J Cutan Pathol. 2006;33 Suppl 1:27-42. doi:10.1111/j.0303-6987.2006.00541.x.
  • Jindal N, Jindal P, Kumar J, et al. Animals eponyms in dermatology. Indian J Dermatol. 2014;59(6):631-4.
  • Guglielmo A, Patrizi A, Bardazzi F, Pileri A. Erythroderma: psoriasis or lymphoma? A diagnostic challenge and therapeutic pitfall. Ital J Dermatol Venereol. 2022;157(2):154-7. doi:10.23736/S2784-8671.21.06891-7.
  • Wilson DC, Jester JD, King LE Jr. Erythroderma and exfoliative dermatitis. Clin Dermatol. 1993;11(1):67-72.
  • Ram-Wolff C, Martin-Garcia N, Bensussan A, Bagot M, Ortonne N. Histopathologic diagnosis of lymphomatous versus inflammatory erythroderma: a morphologic and phenotypic study on 47 skin biopsies. Am J Dermatopathol. 2010;32(8):755-63. doi:10.1097/DAD.0b013e3181cfbfbf.
  • Walsh NMG, Prokopetz R, Tron VA, et al. Histopathology in erythroderma: review of a series of cases by multiple observers. J Cutan Pathol. 1994;21(5):419-25.
  • Zip C, Murray S, Walsh NMG. The specificity of histopathology in erythroderma. J Cutan Pathol. 1993;20(5):393-8.
  • Megna M, Sidikov AA, Zaslavsky DV, Chuprov IN, Timoshchuk EA, Egorova U, et al. The role of histological presentation in erythroderma. Int J Dermatol. 2017;56(4):400-4. doi:10.1111/ijd.13488.
  • Botella-Estrada R, Sanmartín O, Oliver V, Febrer I, Aliaga A. Erythroderma: a clinicopathological study of 56 cases. Arch Dermatol. 1994;130(12):1503-7. doi:10.1001/archderm.130.12.1503.
  • Kakinuma T, Nakamura K, Wakugawa M, et al. Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine in atopic dermatitis: serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine level is closely related with disease activity. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;107(3):535-41.
  • Fulop T, Larbi A, Dupuis G, Le Page A, Frost EH, Cohen AA, et al. Immunosenescence and inflamm-aging as two sides of the same coin: friends or foes? Front Immunol. 2018;8:1960. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2017.01960
  • Hwang KA, Kim HR, Kang I. Aging and human CD4(+) regulatory T cells. Mech Ageing Dev. 2009;130(8):509-17.
  • Gregg R, Smith CM, Clark FJ, et al. The number of human peripheral blood CD4+CD25high regulatory T cells increases with age. Clin Exp Immunol. 2005;140(3):540-6.
  • Mediaty A, Neuber K. Total and specific serum IgE decreases with age in patients with allergic rhinitis, asthma and insect allergy but not in patients with atopic dermatitis. Immun Ageing. 2005;2(1):9.
  • Asai T, Horiuchi Y. Senile erythroderma with serum hyper-IgE. Int J Dermatol. 1989;28(4):255-8.
  • Alkon N, Chennareddy S, Cohenour ER, Ruggiero JR, Stingl G, Bangert C, et al. Single-cell sequencing delineates T- cell clonality and pathogenesis of the parapsoriasis disease group. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2025;155(2):461–78.
  • Howell MD, Kim BE, Gao P, et al. Cytokine modulation of atopic dermatitis filaggrin skin expression. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007;120(1):150-5.
There are 21 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Dermatology
Journal Section Case Report
Authors

Ekin Altınbaş 0000-0003-4954-305X

Ceyda Tetik Aydoğdu 0000-0002-7192-9066

Suzan Demir Pektaş 0000-0001-5074-986X

Emine Tuğba Alataş 0000-0002-5727-9474

Barış Bat 0009-0009-2676-5101

Submission Date October 28, 2025
Acceptance Date March 31, 2026
Publication Date April 1, 2026
IZ https://izlik.org/JA82NL82JR
Published in Issue Year 2026 Volume: 43 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Altınbaş, E., Tetik Aydoğdu, C., Demir Pektaş, S., Alataş, E. T., & Bat, B. (2026). When eczema isn’t eczema: Unmasking mycosis fungoides in an elderly patient through the lens of immunosenescence. Deneysel Ve Klinik Tıp Dergisi, 43(1), 113-117. https://izlik.org/JA82NL82JR
AMA 1.Altınbaş E, Tetik Aydoğdu C, Demir Pektaş S, Alataş ET, Bat B. When eczema isn’t eczema: Unmasking mycosis fungoides in an elderly patient through the lens of immunosenescence. J. Exp. Clin. Med. 2026;43(1):113-117. https://izlik.org/JA82NL82JR
Chicago Altınbaş, Ekin, Ceyda Tetik Aydoğdu, Suzan Demir Pektaş, Emine Tuğba Alataş, and Barış Bat. 2026. “When Eczema Isn’t Eczema: Unmasking Mycosis Fungoides in an Elderly Patient through the Lens of Immunosenescence”. Deneysel Ve Klinik Tıp Dergisi 43 (1): 113-17. https://izlik.org/JA82NL82JR.
EndNote Altınbaş E, Tetik Aydoğdu C, Demir Pektaş S, Alataş ET, Bat B (April 1, 2026) When eczema isn’t eczema: Unmasking mycosis fungoides in an elderly patient through the lens of immunosenescence. Deneysel ve Klinik Tıp Dergisi 43 1 113–117.
IEEE [1]E. Altınbaş, C. Tetik Aydoğdu, S. Demir Pektaş, E. T. Alataş, and B. Bat, “When eczema isn’t eczema: Unmasking mycosis fungoides in an elderly patient through the lens of immunosenescence”, J. Exp. Clin. Med., vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 113–117, Apr. 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA82NL82JR
ISNAD Altınbaş, Ekin - Tetik Aydoğdu, Ceyda - Demir Pektaş, Suzan - Alataş, Emine Tuğba - Bat, Barış. “When Eczema Isn’t Eczema: Unmasking Mycosis Fungoides in an Elderly Patient through the Lens of Immunosenescence”. Deneysel ve Klinik Tıp Dergisi 43/1 (April 1, 2026): 113-117. https://izlik.org/JA82NL82JR.
JAMA 1.Altınbaş E, Tetik Aydoğdu C, Demir Pektaş S, Alataş ET, Bat B. When eczema isn’t eczema: Unmasking mycosis fungoides in an elderly patient through the lens of immunosenescence. J. Exp. Clin. Med. 2026;43:113–117.
MLA Altınbaş, Ekin, et al. “When Eczema Isn’t Eczema: Unmasking Mycosis Fungoides in an Elderly Patient through the Lens of Immunosenescence”. Deneysel Ve Klinik Tıp Dergisi, vol. 43, no. 1, Apr. 2026, pp. 113-7, https://izlik.org/JA82NL82JR.
Vancouver 1.Ekin Altınbaş, Ceyda Tetik Aydoğdu, Suzan Demir Pektaş, Emine Tuğba Alataş, Barış Bat. When eczema isn’t eczema: Unmasking mycosis fungoides in an elderly patient through the lens of immunosenescence. J. Exp. Clin. Med. [Internet]. 2026 Apr. 1;43(1):113-7. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA82NL82JR