Mycosis Fungoides

An individual can be plagued by many different types of skin growths. Some of these growths can be cancerous while others are non-cancerous. Any skin growth should be checked out immediately. Proper treatment can be received if you have early detection.

One form of cutaneous t-cell lymphoma is mycosis fungoides. This condition affects the skin and is a rare form of t-cell lymphoma. This skin condition appears as patches, plaques, tumors or lesions. Most of the time the patches are flat and the plaque is slightly raised. An individual can feel itching and irritation from the patches or plaques. The condition will start on the skin and progress slowly to other parts of the body including the liver, spleen and possibly the brain. This condition is also sometimes known as the Aibert-Bazin syndrome.

Who Can Get Them?

African American individuals are more likely to get mycosis fungoides than Caucasian individuals. The rashes will appear very light or very dark on those with a darker skin tone. Males are affect more so by this ailment than women. Individuals over the age of fifty are more likely to get the condition. The most common age is forty-five to fifty-five years for those who develop the rash and plaque. The tumors and lesions will start to develop after an individual turns sixty. Children and adolescents can sometimes be affected by mycosis fungoides. At the onset of rashes it is important for the older population to seek treatment to prevent it from developing into the tumor stage.

What Can Cause Them For Mycosis Fungoides?

It is still unknown what the exact cause of mycosis fungoides is. The cause of this ailment has some links to environmental exposure or viral exposures. There doesn’t appear to be a link to a person’s genetic makeup and the disease is not contagious.

How Does It Happen?

The formation of t-cell lymphomas cause mycosis fungoides to appear as a manifestation on the skin.

Where Do They Appear?

The skin is the place where the patches, plaques and tumors appear. They are most commonly found on the hips, buttocks, groin and breasts. The gastrointestinal system, liver and spleen are areas of the body where it can spread to.

What Are the Symptoms of Mycosis Fungoides?

There are outward visible symptoms of mycosis fungoides. This is the patches, plaques or lesions that appear as rashes. Up to six years can spread between the onset and diagnosis of this ailment.

How Can It Be Diagnosed For Mycosis Fungoides?

A doctor can sometimes have a difficult time diagnosing mycosis fungoides. The patches in their early stages can appear like eczema or other skin ailments that have rashes. A doctor or dermatologist will use a skin biopsy to make a proper diagnosis. To determine the stage of the ailment a doctor will perform a blood test and other tests.

What Treatments Are Available For Mycosis Fungoides?

Depending on the stage of the ailment there are various treatments for mycosis fungoides. The patient’s preference and the availability of treatments will also affect the treatment choice. A topical steroid is one option for individuals to treat the rash. To shrink the tumors or lesions on skin chemotherapy may also be used.

Radiotherapy may also be done in some cases. Radiation is less evasive than the chemotherapy option. In battling this ailment the most effective option is a combination of treatments. Other treatments for this ailments are currently being tested, but these depend on the health and age of the individual who has the ailment.

The most exposed part of your body is the skin and everyday it is exposed to the elements including everything form the sun, weather, chemicals and the food we eat. If individuals have any strange growth or rash on the skin then they should seek medical attention. Most of these cases are non life threatening, but it is always best to have a doctor look at them to make sure.

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