ABSTRACT
Over the past decades, each attempt trying to establish a dermatology-specific classification of cutaneous lymphomas (CL) apart from hematopathology has failed. Several attempts have been made to adapt classification of lymphoproliferative skin infiltrates to one of the major nodal lymphoma classifications. There has never been and most probably never will be a nodal-based lymphoma classification, which meets the specific requirements of extranodal, e.g., cutaneous, lymphomas, and is fully sufficient for dermatologic purposes. Nevertheless, in order to be understood by pathologists and hemato-oncologists, it is mandatory to use the same language and to adapt nodal-based lymphoma classifications as far as possible and to supplement them according to organ-specific requirements by adding skin-specific nosologic entities within the category they fit best.
