Cutaneous manifestations associated with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Purpose. - Our purpose was to describe cutaneous manifestations associated with myelodysplastic syndromes. Methods. - Data from seven patients with cutaneous vasculitis (four cases), neutrophilic dermatosis (one case), relapsing polychondritis (one case), and possible erythema elevatum diutinum (one case) in association with myelodysplastic syndrome (refractory anaemia RA, RA with excess of blasts - RAEB-, RAEB in transformation RAEBt, chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia - CMML-), and analysis of the literature were reviewed. Results. - The cutaneous manifestations of myelodysplastic syndrome may or may not be specific, and may reveal hemopathy transformation. The cutaneous vasculitis are the most frequent and polymorphic. The relation with neutrophilic dermatosis is more specific; they are a spectrum of diseases including pyoderma gangrenosum, Sweet's syndrome, erythema elevatum diutinum (nuclear segmentation anomalies of neutrophils both in the skin and in the blood are a biological marker of the association). Relapsing polychondritis is significantly associated with myelodysplastic syndromes. Their pathogenesis are controversial. Conclusion. - Early biopsy of cutaneous lesions in myelodysplastic syndromes is indicated. Analysis of blood cell count (and more bone marrow biopsy in relapsing polychondritis) is indispensable in these neutrophilic cutaneous or vasculitis diseases. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.