HTLV-I-associated lymphoma presenting as mycosis fungoides in an HTLV-I non-endemic area: a viro-molecular study

Summary Human T‐lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV‐I) is endemic in the Caribbean region, south‐western Japan and Africa, and is associated with tropical spastic paraparesis and adult T‐cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Cutaneous forms of ATLL are sometimes indistinguishable from other cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas (CTCL). We report a woman living in a non‐endemic area for HTLV‐I, with no risk factors for viral infection, who developed mycosis fungoides‐like ATLL. The findings underline the usefulness of molecular biological techniques in distinguishing between mycosis fungoides and ATLL. We emphasize the need to establish the HTLV‐I status of patients with CTCL, even in HTLV‐I non‐endemic areas, not only to establish a preventive policy in these countries, but also to further our knowledge of the lymphoproliferation spectrum associated with human retroviruses.