[Leukemia cutis: clinical features of 27 mexican patients and a review of the literature].

BACKGROUND Leukemia Cutis (LC) consists in neoplastic leukocytic infiltration of the skin and is strongly associated with the presence of extramedullary disease and poor prognosis. However, there are few studies in the literature regarding this entity. We perform a retrospective study of 27 mexican patients in order to analyze the clinical features and prognosis of LC in Mexico, and a brief review of the literature. METHODS Cases diagnosed as LC by skin biopsy were selected from the database of the Department of Dermatology of National Institute of Medical Science and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán. Cases were searched between the dates of January 1993 and December 2013. RESULTS Twenty-seven cases which were histologically confirmed with cutaneous leukemic infiltrate were included. Of these patients 60% were male and the mean age at diagnosis was 42 yr (19 to 80 yr). The predominant tipe of LC was acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with 48% of the cases. Nodular neoformations were the main clinical manifestation with 63% of the cases. The mean interval between the diagnosis of LC and death was 10 months (CI 95%). CONCLUSIONS The presence of LC is a marker of poor prognosis and can precede the relapse of systemic leukemia. Cutaneous infiltration may be the first or the only sign of progression, so doctors should be familiar with the clinical manifestations of this disease.