Transformation of cutaneous gamma/delta T-cell lymphoma following 15 years of indolent behavior

Subcutaneous gamma/delta (γ/δ) T-cell lymphoma is a rare lymphoma, characterized by its unique immunophenotype and clinical course. It has been shown to behave more aggressively than its counterpart bearing the α/β receptor and has recently been removed from the subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma category for this very reason. We present a case of a patient with a 15-year running diagnosis of panniculitis. Following these years of indolent behavior, the disease began an aggressive clinical course and she was diagnosed with γ/δ T-cell lymphoma. Molecular analysis identified a T-cell clone, which through retrospective analysis, was also shown to be present in the patient's original biopsy material. We present this case as a rare example of initial indolent behavior in a lymphoma typically considered very aggressive.