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Soft tissue Langerhans cell histiocytosis with secondary bone involvement in extremities: evolution of lesions in two patients

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Abstract

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is an uncommon disorder of unknown etiology with a wide spectrum of biological behavior. The most common sites of involvement are bone, skin, and lung. While osseous LCH can result in secondary soft tissue involvement, primary soft tissue LCH in extremities with secondary bone involvement is rare, and little is known about its natural course. We report two adult patients with multi-organ system LCH who had primary soft tissue lesions with secondary involvement of adjoining bones in lower extremities, and illustrate the important role played by various imaging modalities in detection and monitoring of treatment response. We also document spontaneous clinical resolution of LCH lesions without therapy, and positive response of these lesions to chemotherapy.

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Acknowledgments

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 1475, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Behrang Amini & Rajendra Kumar

  2. Department of Pathology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 085, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Wei-Lien Wang

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  1. Behrang Amini
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  2. Rajendra Kumar
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Correspondence to Behrang Amini.

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Amini, B., Kumar, R. & Wang, WL. Soft tissue Langerhans cell histiocytosis with secondary bone involvement in extremities: evolution of lesions in two patients. Skeletal Radiol 42, 1301–1309 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-013-1611-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-013-1611-x

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