Background: Mycosis fungoides (MF), the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), is mainly a disease of the elderly.
Objectives: To review paediatric CTCL cases reported in the literature, with a focus on the time between onset of symptoms and establishment of a correct diagnosis.
Methods: A review of the literature was carried out and a case reported.
Results: A total of 254 cases of CTCL have been reported in children aged<16 years, 13 cases (<1% of all reported cases) in children below the age of 2 years, and only seven cases (including ours) during the first year of life. CTCL was most prevalent in children aged 10-12 years. The delay between age of onset and establishment of diagnosis was largest in the youngest age group (0-3 years), and declined steadily thereafter, thus reflecting the increasing likelihood that CTCL is considered in the differential diagnosis of skin disorders with increasing age of the patient.
Conclusions: The diagnosis of CTCL is frequently delayed in young children. It needs to be considered in chronic 'eczematous' skin lesions irrespective of the patient's age, and including infants.