Treatment of primary cutaneous CD30-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma with Wenyang Shengji decoction and Huanglian ointment: A case report

Primary cutaneous CD30 positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (PC-ALCL) is a rare non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Combined chemotherapy regimens such as CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), MACOP-B (methotrexate, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone, and bleomycin), or F-MACHOP (5-fluorouracil, methotrexate, cytosine-arabinoside, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) are often used for its clinical treatment. In this study, we reported a new treatment method using a traditional Chinese therapy involving oral Wenyang Shengji decoction (WSD) combined with Huanglian ointment applied externally in a 32-year-old female patient with PC-ALCL. Introduction: A 32-year-old woman who complained of an ulcer on the forehead accompanied by significant pain. PC-ALCL was diagnosed by histopathological examination and immunohistochemical analysis. Treatment plan: WSD was prepared in 300 mL water and administered orally as a 150 mL decoction twice daily, and Huanglian ointment was applied to the ulcer three times daily. After 8 weeks of treatment with WSD combined with Huanglian ointment, the lesion healed completely. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed the presence of scattered CD3+++, CD4++, CD8++, CD20++, and CD30-positive cells. After 12 weeks of treatment, the ulcer healed completely, leaving only a marked pale red-pitted scar. The patient was followed up for 3 years without recurrence and no adverse events. Conclusion: oral WSD combined with Huanglian ointment applied to the ulcer for PC-ALCL can promote the healing of ulcers, reduce or alleviate the formation of scar, and eliminate CD30-positive cells. This case report provides a reference for the clinical treatment of PC-ALCL using traditional Chinese medicine.