Clinical trials and experimental
The importance of clinicopathological correlation in the diagnosis of cutaneous lymphomas in elderly patients
Background
The diagnosis of cutaneous lymphoma (CL) is often difficult, either because of overlapping features with benign dermatoses or discordance between clinical and pathologic findings. Incidence of cutaneous lymphomas (CL) increase steeply with age. 

Objective
The aim of our study was  to illustrate the importance of  monitoring elderly patients with chronic dermatoses and the necessity of clinicopathological  correlation in the diagnosis of CL. 

Patients and Methods
Clinical data and histological sections of 28 patients selected  from the files of the University Clinic of Dermatology and Venereology Timisoara (2005-2010) with confirmed CL, were reviewed and reclassified according WHO-EORTC classification. Histological review was performed on hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical stained sections. 

Results
28 patients (15 male; 13 female), mean age – 60 years were included. 75% (n=21) were initially diagnosed with a different chronic dermatoses in primary care institutions. 71% (n=15) of misdiagnoses were in patients over 60 years. After clinical and histopathological evaluation, according WHO-EORTC: 82% (n=23) were primary cutaneous lymphomas (PCL) and 18% (n=5) were secondary cutaneous lymphomas (SCL). 18 patients (78% of PCL) had T cell cutaneous lymphoma (CTCL), from which 14 (78% of CTCL) were mycosis fungoides and 5 patients (22% of PCL) had B cell cutaneous lymphoma (CBCL).

Limitation
This was a case series descriptive study.

Conclusion
It is important to monitor elderly patients with chronic dermatosis and to perform repeated biopsies every  patient with suspicious skin lesions. CL are rare and very variable and a final diagnosis is often delayed.