Value of interphase FISH for the diagnosis of t(11;14)(q13;q32) on skin lesions of mantle cell lymphoma

The diagnosis of skin lesions of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) may be difficult at the onset of the disease. We observed 2 patients with papules of the trunk and 1 with diffuse infiltration of the trunk and the face and 2 subcutaneous nodules. Skin samples showed diffuse infiltration of the dermis (n = 1) or perivascular infiltration (n = 2). The infiltrate corresponded to centrocytic cells (n = 2) or pleomorphic blastoid cells (n = 1) with a B-cell phenotype: CD3-, CD5+ (213), CD20+, CD23-, and CD43+. In only 1 case was cyclin D1 immunoreactivity detected, and the t(11;14)(q13;q32) breakpoint was amplified from both lymph node and skin DNA. Competitive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was not contributive for skin specimens. In all 3 cases, interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) demonstrated t(11; 14) fusion signals either on paraffin sections or on fresh frozen touch preparations of skin biopsies. The recognition of skin lesions of MCL from other B-cell infiltrates can be established by interphase FISH.