Mycosis Fungoides: Classification

Mycosis fungoides is classified into four stages:

Stage Description/complaints Duration
Stage I:Premycous stage(eczema stage).
  • Uncharacteristic skin rashes such as large-hearted parapsoriasis (psoriasis) or eczema (skin inflammation; “itchy rash”)
  • Yellowish-brownish non-infiltrated foci
  • Efflorescences (visible skin changes) may disappear and reappear in other locations. However, they may also persist (persist).
  • Pruritus (itching)
  • No lymphadenopathy (enlarged lymph nodes).
  • Many years
Stage II:Infiltrative stage (plaque stage).
  • Infiltration of the foci with palpable thickening of the skin (flat raised).
  • The foci are brown-red and vary in size, sometimes anular (ring-shaped).
  • Larger plaques (elevating above the skin level, “plate-like” substance proliferation of the skin) and small nodules.
  • The entire outer skin is affected.
  • Severe pruritus (itching).
  • Lymphadenopathy (lymph nodes are swollen), but no tumor cells are detectable
  • Up to 5 years
Stage III:Mycosidic tumor stage.
  • Formation of hemispherical, fungiform tumors within infiltrates with tendency to erosions (skin defects) and ulcerations (ulcers)
  • Often the face is also affected (“Facies leonina” = lion face).
  • In severe courses it comes to erythroderma (redness (erythema) of the entire skin organ).
Stage IV:Systemicproliferation(advanced tumor stage).