Favorable outcomes in folliculotropic mycosis fungoides after multimodality treatment in a single-institution.

Folliculotropic mycosis fungoides (FMF) is characterized by follicularly-accentuated papules, patches, and plaques with corresponding folliculotropic infiltrates of atypical lymphocytes. FMF is an aggressive subtype of mycosis fungoides (MF) with a lower 5-year disease-specific survival. Patients with FMF fall into two categories: early/indolent disease with 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) of 92-94% and 72%, respectively, and advanced/aggressive disease with 5- and 10-year OS of 55-69% and 28%, respectively. FMF is often refractory to skin-directed therapies and warrants more aggressive therapy. Current treatment recommendations for FMF reserve use of a systemic retinoid, often bexarotene (activates retinoid X receptor (RXR)), for advanced/aggressive disease following insufficient response to light therapy, while acitretin (activates retinoic acid receptor (RAR)) is rarely mentioned as a therapeutic option.