DEAR DR. GOTT:
You have written about itchy skin several times in the past and on occasion indicate that it might be due to serious condition. Invariably, I get excited thinking, “Oh, yes, he’s finally going to talk about mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome!” Each time, however, is a let down. Let me share my experience.

My father suffered unnecessarily, I think, because he was misdiagnosed for several years with psoriasis when it was actually Sezary syndrome. Mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome are two forms of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (cancer).

I believe my father died because a surgeon operated on his back without realizing how fragile his skin was from the Sezary syndrome. I think that a lack of information created a situation that could have been handled differently, and perhaps, my father would still be here. [Read more...]