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Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas can be subdivided into forms with a good prognosis (Mycosis fungoides and CD30+ cutaneous T-cell lymphoma), forms with a poor prognosis (Sezary syndrome and peripheral T-cell lymphoma) and forms with a variable prognosis (pleomorphic small/medium-sized T-cell lymphoma, subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma, cutaneous T/NK cell lymphomas (referred to as nasal-type lesions), epidermotropic CD8+ T-cell lymphomas and the TCRgamma-delta phenotype). The group of cutaneous B-cell lymphomas includes marginal zone B-cell lymphomas and primary cutaneous follicular lymphomas (both of which have a good prognosis), cutaneous large B-cell lymphomas of the leg (with a variable prognosis), and blastic NK lymphomas (associated with a poor prognosis).

While treatment is effective and the prognosis is favourable for low grade forms, recent therapeutic innovations relying on the use of biological tools are likely to improve the prognosis for the most severe forms, such as those already existing in the form of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (rituximab) for disseminated cutaneous B-cell lymphomas, and anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody (alemtuzumab) for refractory forms of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Deciphering the key molecular mechanisms underlying these malignancies should create new therapeutic perspectives in the close future.