Inflammatory vitiligo versus hypopigmented mycosis fungoides in a 58-year-old Indian female

• Main Authors: Luis A Soro, Anthony J Gust, Stephen M Purcell
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2013-01-01
• Series: Indian Dermatology Online Journal
• Subjects: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma; hypopigmented mycosis fungoides; inflammatory vitiligo
• Online Access: http://www.idoj.in/article.asp?issn=2229-5178;year=2013;volume=4;issue=4;spage=321;epage=325;aulast=Soro

Vitiligo, particularly the rarer inflammatory variant, may be difficult to distinguish from hypopigmented mycosis fungoides (MF) clinically. Complicating the distinction is that when biopsies are taken from the periphery of early vitiliginous lesions or from lesions with an inflammatory border (inflammatory vitiligo), a dermal lymphocytic infiltrate, exocytosis, interface dermatitis, and mild spongiosis may be seen, all resembling the findings seen in hypopigmented MF. We present a case demonstrating the difficulty in differentiating between these two diseases and examine some characteristic clinical and histopathological features of each. Often, a conclusive diagnosis cannot be made, necessitating close follow-up of the patient and monitoring for progression of their disease over time.