What is the Difference Between Mycosis Fungoides and Sezary Syndrome?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome are both cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs), but they have distinct differences in their clinical presentation, diagnosis, and prognosis.
Mycosis Fungoides:
- Affects the skin in the form of patches, plaques, and tumors.
- Diagnosis is based on the presence of specific types of malignant T cells in the skin biopsy.
- Staging involves the primary tumor (T), lymph node involvement (N), organ metastases (M), and the number of tumor cells in the peripheral blood (B).
- It is the most common primary cutaneous lymphoma.
Sézary Syndrome:
- Affects both the skin and the blood, with visible skin lesions and large numbers of Sézary cells in the blood.
- Diagnosis requires the presence of a specific level of Sézary cells in the blood, as well as a positive clone or CD4/CD8 ratio of 10 or more.
- Patients typically present with diffuse erythema and leukemic disease.
It is still unclear whether Sézary syndrome is an advanced form of mycosis fungoides or a separate disease. The two conditions arise from distinct T-cell subsets, with Sézary syndrome being a malignancy of central memory T cells and mycosis fungoides being a malignancy of skin-resident effector memory T cells. Prognosis and treatment options for both conditions depend on various factors, including the stage of the disease and the presence of specific evidence in the skin and blood.
Comparative Table: Mycosis Fungoides vs Sezary Syndrome
Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) are the most common malignancies among cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs). Here is a table summarizing the differences between the two:
Feature | Mycosis Fungoides | Sézary Syndrome |
---|---|---|
Etiology | Not fully understood | Not fully understood |
Pathogenesis | Not yet fully understood | Not yet fully understood |
Clinical Stages | Presents with various clinical stages | Diagnosed based on at least one of the following criteria: absolute Sézary cell count > 1000/μL, CD4+/CD8+ ratio ≥ 10, CD4+/CD7– cells ≥ 40%, or CD4+/CD26– cells ≥ 30% |
Staging | Performed according to the TNMB classification (T: primary tumor, N: lymph node involvement, M: organ metastases, B: number of tumor cells in the peripheral blood) | Peripheral blood involvement is an essential diagnostic component |
Cell Type | Originates from different T-cell types | Sézary cells arise from "central memory T cells" |
Diagnosis | Difficult in early stages, relies on clinicopathological correlation | Diagnosis and staging based on peripheral blood findings |
Prognosis | Factors that aggravate prognosis include clinical stage and medical history | Prognosis is influenced by the clinical stage and peripheral blood involvement |
It is essential to evaluate peripheral blood involvement and the medical history in order to determine the appropriate treatment plan for both mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.
- Dermatophytosis vs Dermatomycosis
- Fungal Infection vs Psoriasis
- Coccidioides vs Coccidioidomycosis
- Cutaneous vs Subcutaneous Mycoses
- Systemic vs Opportunistic Mycoses
- Seborrheic Dermatitis vs Psoriasis
- Mucormycosis vs Aspergillosis
- Actinic Keratosis vs Seborrheic Keratosis
- Lichen Planus vs Lupus Erythematosus
- Cutaneous vs Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis
- Myxomycota vs Eumycota
- Candida vs Malassezia
- Fusarium Solani vs Fusarium Oxysporum
- Pemphigus Vulgaris vs Pemphigus Foliaceus
- Sarcoidosis vs Tuberculosis
- Atopic vs Seborrheic Dermatitis
- Amyloidosis vs Sarcoidosis
- Mushrooms vs Fungus
- Fungi vs Fungus