Abstract
A 3-month-old male infant presented with pallor, hepatomegaly (4.5 cm), splenomegaly (1.5 cm), anaemia (Hb 6 g/dl) and thrombocytopenia (16×109/l). A liver biopsy was diagnostic for Langerhans cell histiocytosis (histiocytosis X). The patient's lymphocytes, co-cultured with neonatal lymphocytes, were positive for virus-like particles without reverse transcriptase activity. The hepatomegaly diminished after 6 months and a second liver biopsy showed decreased histiocytic infiltration. A second viral blood culture remained negative. After 14 months, the hepatomegaly had disappeared completely and there were no more abnormal haematological or clinical findings.
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Abbreviations
- LCAT:
-
lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase
- HIV:
-
human immunodeficiency virus
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Dedicated to Walter Teller on the occasion of his 60th birthday
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Corbeel, L., Eggermont, E., Desmyter, J. et al. Spontaneous healing of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (histiocytosis X). Eur J Pediatr 148, 32–33 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00441809
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00441809