Mycosis fungoides in childhood: A diagnostic challenge for primary care physicians: A case report
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Muhammad Firdaus Zaidi 1 , Nur Suhaila Idris 1 * , Azidah Abdul Kadir 1 , Norazura Mohamad 2 , Yoon Doong Loh 2 , Siti Zarqah Omar 3
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1 Department of Family Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, MALAYSIA2 Department of Dermatology, Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, MALAYSIA3 Department of Pathology, Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, MALAYSIA* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in adult male, though it is rare in children. Pediatric MF often presents with hypopigmented patches, which can be mistaken for common skin conditions such as pityriasis alba, tinea versicolor, vitiligo, leprosy, or post-inflammatory hypopigmentation. This difficulty can lead to delayed diagnosis and misdiagnoses by healthcare workers. We report a case of hypopigmented mycosis fungoides (HMF) in a 4-year-old boy. The diagnosis was confirmed by skin biopsy and immunohistochemistry, which demonstrated features consistent with MF. The patient was initially treated with a topical steroid, however, owing to an inadequate clinical response, treatment was subsequently changed to a topical calcineurin inhibitor. This case highlights the importance of considering HMF in children with persistent or progressive hypopigmented lesions that do not respond to conventional treatment. Early skin biopsy and immunohistochemical correlation.

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Case Report

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 23, Issue 4, August 2026, Article No: em749

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/19228

Publication date: 07 Sep 2026

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