The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome has recently been identified in Hodgkin's disease (HD) and nodal non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). In order to elucidate the possible aetiopathogenetic role of EBV in benign and malignant lymphoproliferative disorders we investigated skin specimens from 24 patients with a primary cutaneous lymphoproliferative disorders (10 T-cell lymphomas 6 B-cell lymphomas and 8 pseudolymphomas) and from 22 normal individuals for the presence of EBV DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and in situ hybridization (ISH) on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections. EBV DNA was identified by PCR in one of two cases of mycosis fungoides, in one of seven cases of pleomorphic T-cell lymphomas, in one case of centroblastic (CB) lymphoma of six B-cell lymphomas, and in three of eight pseudolymphomas. The EBV genome was also found in 2 of 22 specimens of normal skin. The small EBV-encoded nuclear RNAs, EBERs, were not detected in any PCR-positive sample by ISH. Based on our PCR and ISH findings, EBV does not seem to play a significant role in the development of cutaneous lymphomas.