Parapsoriasis in two children: a clinical, immunophenotypic, and immunogenotypic study

Parapsoriasis has been described rarely in childhood; a few reports mention this condition as preceding early mycosis fungoides. We report a boy age 15 and a girl age 8 years with different clinical features of parapsoriasis who were followed clinically and histologically for about four years. Immunophenotyping of the skin infiltrate and a T cell receptor gene rearrangement analysis were performed on each. The infiltrate was composed mainly of CD4+ and CD45+ lymphocytes in the first patient and of CD8+ and CD45+ in the second. No T cell receptor gene rearrangements were found. The paucity of knowledge about the evolution of this entity in childhood and its relationship to mycosis fungoides makes follow-up critical. The importance of immunophenotyping and immunogenotyping is particularly stressed.