Spontaneous regression of cutaneous lesions in adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma

SIR, Adult T‐cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a malignant lymphoproliferative disorder caused by human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV‐I). It is endemic in south‐west Japan, especially in Kagoshima prefecture, where it is estimated there are 100,000 HTLV‐I carriers and about 100 new patients with ATLL every year. About one‐half of these patients show skin lesions. We have collected 39 ATLL cases during the last 5 years: spontaneous total regression of the skin lesions has occurred in seven of them. The seven patients comprised four men (mean age 50 years) and three women (mean age 45 years). Of the seven patients, two had chronic and five smouldering‐type ATLL.1 The cutaneous lesions in two patients were macropapules, in three were indurated erythematous lesions, and the other two patients had a huge subcutaneous nodule and erythroderma, respectively. Spontaneous regression occurred subsequent to a drug eruption from carbamazepine in one patient, and following surgical biopsies in six patients. Spontaneous regression persisted for 1–7 months.