BACKGROUND: Primary cutaneous lymphomas form a heterogeneous group of lymphatic neoplasias.They manifest themselves on the skin and are the second most frequent group of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) following gastrointestinal lymphomas.The number of epidemiologic studies is small due to limited availability and limited comparability on population-based data. Patients and methods: In the present study the first evaluation of the German Central Registry for Cutaneous Lymphomas (ZRKL) of the German Society of Dermatology (DDG) is undertaken on the basis of 998 patients.The epidemiology of cutaneous lymphomas in Germany is compared to other national or regional lymphoma registries. RESULTS: Based on the registration of 998 patients from 26 clinics in Germany,a clear predominance of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (85 %) in comparison to cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (14 %) is seen.The most frequent representative of CTCL is mycosis fungoides,composing 62 % of cases with a slight predominance of men (M:F = 1.6:1).Differences are also seen in stage of the disease at first presentation of patients with cutaneous lymphomas.While, for example, 80 % of patients with mycosis fungoides in Germany present in early stages (I-IIA),in the USA 34 % of patients are in the tumor stage or have organ involvement at presentation. CONCLUSIONS: The ZRKL of the DDG for the first time presents epidemiologic data from Germany, allowing comparison with other nations for the study of etio-logical factors and socioeconomic influences. Further, the ZRKL supports the development of uniform and quality-oriented diagnostic criteria and therapeutic options. Finally, the ZRKL provides a foundation for future intensive study of clinical and scientific questions regarding cutaneous T- and B-cell lymphomas.
