Intralesional rituximab for cutaneous B‐cell lymphoma

Rituximab, a chimeric anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody, has been approved for systemic treatment of relapsed or refractory CD20‐positive B‐cell non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma. As cutaneous B‐cell lymphoma (CBCL) also expresses the CD20 molecule, three patients with histologically and immunohistochemically confirmed CBCL without systemic involvement were treated with low‐dose intralesional rituximab in a pilot study. Single doses applied ranged from 10 to 30 mg per lesion, according to lesion extent, with a cumulative dose of up to 350 mg. Injections were given two or three times weekly for 3–5 weeks, with a second cycle after 6 weeks in one patient with incomplete remission. Complete and lasting remission was achieved in each patient; this has persisted for up to more than 1 year. The observed adverse events were of grade 1 severity. Results suggest that intralesional rituximab may be a safe and effective new therapy modality for CBCL.