LAUSR

BACKGROUND Topical corticosteroids alone or in combination with other therapies are widely used to treat Mycosis Fungoides (MF), but data on response rates to their use as monotherapy in MF are limited. OBJECTIVE Evaluate the efficacy of topical corticosteroid monotherapy in MF; compare gender, age, stage distributions, and histopathological features between responders and non-responders. METHODS A retrospective cross-sectional review of MF patients from 2013 to 2019 treated at Thomas Jefferson University was conducted. Patients with biopsy-proven MF, all stages, who received topical corticosteroid monotherapy were included. Response rates were determined by percent change in body surface area (BSA) involvement and modified Severity-Weighted Assessment Tool (mSWAT). RESULTS Of the 163 MF patients in our database, 23% (37/163) initially received topical steroid monotherapy. 73% (27/37) improved with an average 65% decrease in BSA (67% in mSWAT). 27% (10/37) did not respond/progressed with an average 51.6% increase in BSA (57% in mSWAT). 33% (12/37) had a complete response (BSA=0%) with prolonged topical steroid use. Early-stage MF and female gender were more represented in responders. LIMITATIONS Single-center retrospective design. CONCLUSIONS Topical steroid monotherapy in early-stage MF can produce measurable improvements in BSA and mSWATs and achieve complete remission in a limited subset of patients.