Lymphoma or Lymphocytoma Cutis

Dear Dr. Rockoff,

Please help me with some of your experience. In about May, I noticed a what i thought was a pimple form on my right cheek (high, under eye). I initially feared nodular melanoma but initial biopsy results suggest lymphoma...
could they not tell right away...I am so afraid and don t know how i  will be able to wait for 3 more weeks for final results... the stitches were removed today and it seems a new nodule is even forming nearby... i had hoped that the nodule was flattening but it was probably just wishful thinking on my part...it is approx .5 cm...almost 1cm including all the redness...I am what I thought was a healthy female...just turned 40, have two kiddies that I hope to see grow up... What should i do... i can t find much information...My mother was diagnosed with ctcl back in 2000 and she didn t develop further problems with it... but i fear we won t be so lucky this time...could i have just irritated the skin under the eye,,,could it be a bite (it is occasionally itchy) or is it really lymphoma...what other symptoms would i have....thank you

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I understand your concern.  The diagnosis of lymphoma versus (benign) lymphocytoma cutis is tricky and depends on sophisticated cell analysis that pathology labs need to send out to specialized center and which take time to come back.  There is really no way to know sooner.  However, a cluster of nodules on the face of a young adult all point to the likelihood, if not the certainty, that this is a benign process.  Beyond that, you'll need to await the results.

Good luck.

Dr. Rockoff