Molecular cytogenetic evidence of t(14;18)(IGH;BCL2) in a substantial proportion of primary cutaneous follicle center lymphomas.

In contrast to nodal follicular lymphoma, limited data exist on genetic changes in primary cutaneous follicular lymphoma (primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma according to WHO-EORTC). The detection rate of the BCL2 rearrangement, representing the characteristic t(14;18)(q32;q21) underlying follicular lymphoma, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been reported to vary over a wide range (0%-41%), and only a few cases have been studied by molecular cytogenetic techniques such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). In this study, 27 primary cutaneous follicle center lymphomas were analyzed by FISH and the results compared with those obtained by PCR.