Successfully maintained complete remission of mycosis fungoides by umbilical cord blood transplantation: a case report and literature review

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a major variant of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) characterized by infiltration of neoplastic T cells in the epidermis and dermis. This disease progresses gradually and rarely reaches an advanced stage. Once advanced, MF is nearly impossible to treat due to limited therapeutic options. However, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) has recently emerged as a potential treatment. Among hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) sources, umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) offers significant advantages. Despite its potential, there are challenges in applying UCBT to adults, and there are only a few reports on its use for MF. We report a Japanese case of advanced MF maintaining complete remission (CR) with UCBT and review previous cases of CTCL, including MF, treated with UCBT.