Lymphomatoid Papulosis
Lymphomatoid papulosis is a disorder of the
immune system cells that causes red-brown bumps on the skin that come and go. Lymphocytes are a group of
cells that fight
infection and regulate the immune system. T
cells are one group of lymphocytes. Lymphomatoid papulosis occurs when there is an overgrowth of a group of T
cells that express a protein called CD30. When those
cells collect in the skin, they appear as red-brown bumps or papules. The bumps resolve on their own or self-heal, sometimes with scarring. Lymphomatoid papulosis is rare, affecting 1.5 people in a million. It most commonly occurs in adults in their 40s but can develop in all age groups. This condition does not run in families and is not contagious. Treatment can decrease the frequency of new bumps, but there is no cure. Lymphomatoid papulosis may be a rare skin disease that's characterised by crops of self-healing skin lesions that look cancerous under the microscope but are literally benign. Lesions contain unusual
cells that are almost like those found in some lymphomas. Although most cases of
lymphomatoid papulosis are benign, 10–20% of patients may have an associated
lymphoma before, at an equivalent time as, or after the diagnosis of lymphomatoid papulosis. The explanation for
lymphomatoid papulosis is unknown but it's related to a proliferation of atypical T-cell lymphocytes. The estimated incidence is 1.2–1.9 cases per million population so it's a rare disease. It may affect people of all races, sex and age but is less often seen in black-skinned people. Most patients present with multiple skin papules which will occur anywhere on the body but most frequently affect the chest, stomach, back, arms and legs. The papules appear in crops and can be mildly itchy.
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