What Is Primary Cutaneous Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma?
Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) are part of a group of rare non-Hodgkin lymphomas that arise from the T-cell type lymphocytes. Included in this group is primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) comprises only about three percent of all lymphomas in adults and between ten percent and 30 percent of all lymphomas in children. The disease is characterized by the size and shape of the cells under the microscope and by the uniform expression of a special marker on the lymphoma cells called CD30. There are two types of anaplastic large cell lymphoma: systemic, which can affect the skin and/or lymph nodes and other internal organs; and primary cutaneous, which affects the skin only. However, in rare instances, over time, primary cutaneous ALCL may extend beyond the skin to internal organs. Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma is an indolent, or slow growing, lymphoma and is associated with a rare condition called lymphomatoid
