Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas: diagnosis and treatment challenges in Angola and Sub-Saharan Africa

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are a heterogeneous group of rare diseases, for which there is little epidemiological data in Angola and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Diagnosing CTCLs requires a systematic evaluation of general symptoms, skin lesions, and histological features to guide their management. Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common non-Hodgkin’s lymphoproliferative disease, followed by cutaneous anaplastic CD30+ large cell lymphoma (ALCL), accounting for about 2-5% of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. We present the clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical features, therapeutic approach, and outcomes of the first two well-documented cases of anaplastic lymphoma kinase-negative ALCL CD30+ and MF in Angola, illustrating the challenges for diagnosing and managing such malignant diseases in that context. A succinct literature review highlights the characteristics of these tumors in darker skin types, i.e., skin of color patients, and reports from SSA.