CD4/CD8 dual-positive mycosis fungoides: A case report and literature review

RATIONALE: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. It appears as patches, plaques, and tumors depending on the stage of the disease, which presents a chronic progressive course. Compared to CD4(+)/CD8(-) MF, CD4/CD8 dual-positive MF is an uncommon immune phenotype. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 36-year-old male patient presented with dryness and scales on his whole body. DIAGNOSIS: The patient was diagnosed with MF based on results of pathological examination, immunohistochemical staining, and T-cell receptor gene rearrangement test. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was advised to take an herbal medicine orally twice daily and apply a topical moisturizer after showering. OUTCOMES: After treatment and follow-up, the patient's symptoms of dryness and scales improved and his condition stabilized. CONCLUSIONS: While reviewing the literature, we found no previous reports on the treatment of dual-positive MF with Chinese medicine. In this report, we presented the first case of dual-positive MF successfully treated with Chinese medicine. The results suggest that oral ingestion of herbal medicine may be a feasible method for alleviating clinical symptoms of early stage MF. Therefore, the therapy should be explored for clinical use in the future.