Langerhans cell histiocytosis: update for the pediatricianSheila Wand R. Maarten
aDivision of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology,
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto and University
Langerhans cell histiocytosis is the commonest of the histiocytic disorders. Owing to
of Toronto, Toronto, Canada and bImmunology,Hematology/Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant,
the relative rarity of the condition, it remains a disease in which the diagnosis is often
Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden,
delayed or missed and in which many questions remain unanswered, ranging from
etiology and pathogenesis to therapy. The management is often frustrating for care-
Correspondence to Sheila Weitzman, MB, Division of
givers and parents/patients. The purpose of the review is therefore to raise awareness of
Hematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children,555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8,
the disease and to highlight the clinical findings that should make the pediatrician or
primary care-giver suspect the diagnosis, as well as current thinking regarding
Tel: +1 416 813 6910; fax: +1 416 813 5327;e-mail:
management of the various and diverse manifestations of this disease. Recent findings
Current Opinion in Pediatrics 2008, 20:23–29
We discuss new and interesting insights into the biology of Langerhans cellhistiocytosis that raise the possibility of future targeted therapy. Important points in thediagnosis, investigation and management of the various forms of the disease are alsodiscussed. SummaryWe present a review of childhood Langerhans cell histiocytosis, highlighting newinsights into pathogenesis and management of the various forms of this complexdisease.
Keywordsdendritic cell, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, pediatric, review
Curr Opin Pediatr 20:23–29ß 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
hans cells found within nodes in response to a variety of
diseases including neoplasms Previously absolute
Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a disorder of anti-
criteria for diagnosis depended on finding CD1a by
gen-presenting cells, is the commonest disorder of the
immunohistochemistry or Birbeck granules by electron
mononuclear phagocytic system. Owing to the relative
microscopy. Currently, the presence of Birbeck granules
rarity of the condition, it remains a disease in which the
is assumed by immunohistochemical demonstration of
diagnosis is often delayed or missed and in which many
langerin (CD207), a mannose-specific lectin whose intra-
questions remain unanswered, ranging from etiology and
cellular component is found in association with Birbeck
granules with 100% concordance Positivity of one orboth of these markers now defines the Langerhans cell
The article is not intended as a comprehensive review of
LCH, but is intended instead to discuss some recentadvances in the biology of the disease as well as advancesin therapy and to highlight important points for the
pediatricians who care for these patients
The histopathology of LCH is that of a granulomatouslesion containing pathologic Langerhans cells as well as
LCH is characterized by clonal proliferation and excess
normal inflammatory cells such as T cells, eosinophils and
accumulation of pathologic Langerhans cells. The dis-
macrophages, together with multinucleated giant cells.
ease varies widely in clinical presentation from localized
The latter were recently shown to be osteoclast-like and
involvement of a single bone to a widely disseminated
able to produce cytokines that can cause osteolysis .
Diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis
In LCH, the pathologic LCH cells appear to be in an
The diagnosis is clinicopathologic, based on classical
arrested state of activation and/or differentiation .
clinical findings and histologic/immunohistochemical
LCH cells are prevented from leaving their periphe-
criteria, to avoid misdiagnosis of reactive normal Langer-
ral tissue sites, where they accumulate and express
1040-8703 ß 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Copyright Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
inflammatory chemokines, resulting in their own recruit-
In adults, cigarette smoking is a clear risk factor for
ment and retention, as well as that of other inflammatory
pulmonary LCH. The exact relationship of this some-
cells including T lymphocytes It has long been
times polyclonal lung disease to the monoclonal forms of
known that erratic and uncontrolled production of
the disease remains to be elucidated, particularly in view
various cytokines creates a ‘cytokine storm’ The
of a Swedish study which raised the possibility of an
pattern of cytokine expression favors recruitment of
increased risk for the development of lung LCH in adult
Langerhans cell progenitors, as well as their maturation
survivors of pediatric LCH who smoke .
and rescue from apoptosis, thereby explaining thepathologic accumulation of LCH cells Thecytokines produced directly contribute to the patho-
logic sequelae, including fibrosis, bone resorption and
LCH can present at any age from the neonate until oldage. It has become increasingly clear that patients present
Of recent interest is the role of the multinucleated giant
mainly with three different forms of disease. At one end
cell (MNGC). These cells are osteoclast-like and able to
of the spectrum are patients with single-system disease
cause osteonecrosis Furthermore, it has been
with a 100% survival with minimal or no therapy. At the
demonstrated that normal dendritic cells can fuse to
other end are patients, usually very young children, with
form MNGCs in the presence of macrophage colony-
disseminated life-threatening LCH that can involve any
stimulating factor and receptor activator of NF-kB ligand
organ, although kidney and gonad are usually spared.
(RANKL) both of which are highly expressed by
Between the two extremes are patients whose disease
LCH cells Paradoxically, however, the transdiffer-
runs a chronic fluctuating course that eventually ‘burns
entiation of dendritic cells into MNGCs is inhibited by
out’, but often leaves serious residual disabilities See
interferon-g, a cytokine found in abundance in LCH
for a brief summary of clinical features of
lesions produced by LCH cells, T cells and
macrophages Investigators, therefore, are seekinga different mechanism for development of the MNGCsthat appear to play an important role in LCH lesions.
Recognition of such a mechanism will allow the devel-
opment of more specific targeted therapies for all forms
Bone is the commonest single organ in childhood LCH
and the majority present with a single bone lesion with anexcellent outcome. The commonest presentation ofLCH in childhood is with a single mass lesion on the
Etiology of Langerhans cell histiocytosis
skull. All bones may be involved, however, except for the
The discovery that all forms of LCH except adult pul-
hands and feet. The usual presentation is with swelling
monary LCH are monoclonal suggests that this
and/or pain that initially may be present only at night
may be a neoplastic process with varying biologic beha-
LCH is the commonest cause of vertebra plana in
vior. Monoclonality is not proof of malignancy, however,
children and an associated soft tissue mass may result
and a case can be made both for and against this being
in significant neurologic impairment In most
primarily a malignant disease Recent findings of loss
single bone lesions, curettage of the center of the lesion
of heterozygosity on chromosomes 1, 4, 6, 7, 9,16, 17 and
gives diagnostic tissue and usually starts the healing
22, as well as chromosomal instability and elevated
process. Surgical resection is unnecessary and may lead
expression of cell-cycle-related proteins or oncogene
to long-term deformity. Observation is limited to lesions
products, such as p53, H-ras and c-myc, suggesting
in ‘nonrisk’ bones, in patients with a pathologic diagnosis
disrupted cell-cycle regulation, are more persuasive evi-
Controversy exists regarding ‘special site’ bones in the
Recent studies of telomerase expression by CD1a cells in
anterior part of the skull, face and base of skull. Most
LCH lesions as well as the telomere length short-
will heal with curettage alone, but those that have a
ening in Langerhans cells in all stages of disease ,
significant soft tissue component extending internally,
lend support to this being a neoplastic disorder, although
particularly if it involves the dura, should be considered
the possibility of an initiating infectious, malignant
as risk bones for progression to diabetes insipidus
or immune event is still possible An alternative
and neurologic disease, and should be candidates for
hypothesis is that this is a reactive disease, resulting
low-risk chemotherapy (Grois, personal communi-
from environmental or other triggers, which lead to
cation). Low-dose radiation therapy remains an effec-
the aberrant reaction between Langerhans cells and
tive modality, but it is usually restricted to involvement
of critical organs such as the spinal cord or optic nerve.
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Langerhans cell histiocytosis Weitzman and Egeler
Table 1 Summary of clinical features of LCH in children
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugsbisphosphonates
observationtopical steroidtopical tacrolimusexcision (no mutilating surgery)chemotherapyother
prednisone/6-mercaptopurine Æmethotrexate) Â 12
Low risk (two or more organs; no risk organs)
a Limited to involvement of critical organs, i.e. spinal cord, optic nerve.
b Vertebra plana without a soft tissue mass can be carefully observed without a biopsy.
c Neonates and young infants with skin-only LCH may progress to ‘risk’ multisystem disease with a much lower survival.
e Although still included in current protocols, lung as the only risk organ will not ¼ ‘risk’ LCH in future trials.
f Duration of therapy is based on the current open randomized trial (LCH-III) and may change depending on the outcome. Other study group protocolsinclude other drugs, including vincristine, cytosine arabinoside and doxorubicin.
For single or multiple lesions, indomethacin, a potent
comprising 300 patients from Argentina showed that
prostaglandin E2 inhibitor, and other nonsteroidal anti-
permanent consequences occurred in 71% of patients
inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), have proven efficacious
The use of bisphosphonates is sup-ported by the report of da Costa et al., who demonstrated
Important points for the pediatrician regarding bone
that the bony destruction is likely mediated by osteo-
clast-like giant cells that produce matrix-degradingenzymes, resulting in destructive lesions and bone pain
LCH should be considered in all young patients who
The role of NSAIDs and bisphosphonates in pre-
present with a skull mass, jaw pain, swelling and/or
venting reactivations and late complications is unclear,
loose teeth, chronic ear drainage, with dermatitis of
as is the long-term effect of bisphosphonates in young
the auricular canal, mastoiditis and cholesteatoma
or proptosis, swelling and redness of the eyelid.
The classical radiologic finding is a punched-out lytic
Evaluation of response in bone is difficult. [18F]Fluor-
lesion in bone, but some LCH lesions can resemble an
odeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET, a sensitive technique for
aggressive bone sarcoma with destruction of bone and
identifying metabolically active LCH, has been shown
periosteal elevation This is seen particularly in
to detect more lesions than conventional methods at
facial or base of skull lesions, but may be seen in
diagnosis and reactivation, and FDG avidity correlates
with response Availability, expense, irradiation dose
Biopsy to confirm the diagnosis is necessary for all
and need for sedation in young children may limit its
lesions except those presenting with vertebra plana
utility. Reactivations occur at a rate of 3–12% for unifocal
without a soft tissue mass, when the risk of biopsy
bone, 11–25% for multifocal bone and 50–70% for
outweighs the potential benefit. These patients need
bone as part of multisystem LCH The greater the
careful follow-up to exclude malignancy.
reactivation rate, the higher the incidence of diabetes
Multifocal bone and bone associated with multisystem
insipidus and other late complications A recent study
LCH are treated for two reasons, to treat pain, but
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more importantly to try to prevent permanent con-
involvementHypothalamic –pituitary axis (HPA) disease is consideredto be a major risk factor for central nervous system (CNS)
LCH. Diabetes insipidus occurs in about 24% of patients
Skin involvement occurs in 50% of patients with isolated
overall and is commonest in patients with multi-
‘skin-only’ disease in about 10% The commonest
system LCH Diabetes insipidus may present at
presentation is with a ‘seborrhea-like’ eruption, which may
diagnosis (6% of 1741 patients in a recent review or it
or may not be purpuric, often initially misdiagnosed as
may occur later, usually in patients with the chronically
‘cradle-cap’. Other skin manifestations include papules,
reactivating form of the disease Anterior pituitary
vesicles, crusted plaques, nodules and purpuric nodules
deficits may follow diabetes insipidus and include
Patients with skin-only LCH may have spontaneous
growth hormone deficiency, precocious or delayed
regression, regression and reactivation in skin or pro-
puberty, thyroid deficiency, amenorrhea, hyperprolacti-
gression, particularly in the infant, to disseminated,
nemia, morbid obesity sleeping disorders and
sometimes fatal disease. Hashimoto–Pritzker disease
disorders of thermoregulation . The risk of other
(congenital self-healing reticulohistiocytosis) is a skin-only
endocrinopathies in diabetes insipidus patients may be
LCH associated with spontaneous involution. There are
as high as 57% at 10 years after diabetes insipidus onset
no reliable pathologic criteria that distinguish congenital
Treatment of growth hormone deficiency with
self-healing reticulohistiocytosis from skin LCH, and a
growth hormone has proven to be safe and effective,
recent study failed to show a significant difference in
and did not induce reactivations or second malignancies
histology or expression of markers such a E-cadherin,
Most cases of diabetes insipidus are irreversible at
presentation. Nonetheless, the current recommendationis to treat recent-onset diabetes insipidus to try to prevent
Important points for the pediatrician are:
the other late effects. Optimal therapy, however, isunclear. Owing to the potential for late effects, radiation
(1) LCH should be considered whenever seborrheic
therapy should be restricted to nonresponsive growing
dermatitis or diaper dermatitis fails to respond to
masses The pituitary is outside the blood–brain
barrier (BBB) and standard LCH chemotherapy as well
(2) All young babies with skin-only LCH should be care-
as drugs, such as 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine (2-CdA),
fully followed as approximately 50% will
which cross the BBB will likely treat active HPA-
progress to multisystem disease, which may be fatal
LCH. Dhall et al. found that eight of 12 patients
treated with 2-CdA for CNS mass lesions had a complete
(3) In general skin-only LCH has a good prognosis and
response, while four had a sustained partial response.
should not be overtreated. Surgical excision should
Eleven of 12 remained progression-free. There was,
be undertaken for small isolated lesions only and no
however, no reversal of neurocognitive dysfunction
mutilating surgery is ever necessary.
and/or diabetes insipidus that was already present atthe time of therapy.
Multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosisFor therapeutic purposes multisystem LCH is divided
into two categories based on the risk of mortality from
disease. Risk LCH includes all patients with disease in
Active CNS LCH, first seen as extra-parenchymal lesions
two or more organs including a risk organ, defined until
in areas where the BBB is deficient (leptomeninges,
recently as involvement of liver, spleen, lung and hema-
choroid plexus, pineal gland) may progress to chronic
topoietic system. The latter is defined by the presence of
neurodegeneration due to demyelination and gliosis from
anemia, neutropenia and/or thrombocytopenia, and is not
cytokine/chemokine-mediated neural damage or an
excluded by the absence of morphologic infiltration of
autoimmune reaction to the preceding LCH This
devastating end-stage disease is observed in 3–5% of
associated with secondary hemophagocytosis – a com-
patients with LCH, but may occur in 10% or more of
mon finding in young patients who died from disease in a
patients with diabetes insipidus. Clinical findings include
French study (Donadieu, personal communication).
cerebellar dysfunction, psychomotor retardation and
Recently several studies have concluded that, in pediatric
neuropsychologic problems with severe disability and
patients, lung involvement as the only ‘risk’ organ does
even death It is unclear how many asymptomatic
not give an increased risk of death and lung will be
patients with neurodegeneration seen on MRI scans will
removed as a ‘risk’ organ in future Histiocyte Society
progress to debilitating symptomatic neurodegeneration.
Brain-stem evoked potentials have proved useful in
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Langerhans cell histiocytosis Weitzman and Egeler
detecting subtle abnormalities Brain FDG-PET
patients alive in continuous complete remission (median
scans may be helpful in defining active as well as burnt-
25 months) following allogeneic SCT The major
out lesions There is no known effective therapy for
cause of failure was transplant-related mortality .
patients with late progressive CNS disease. Prevention of
LCH may be an ideal disease for reduced intensity
reactivations and of diabetes insipidus is likely to be very
conditioning, as suggested by the survival of nine of
important in prevention of late effects.
11 patients in a recent study This concept is thesubject of an open Histiocyte Society study, designed forpatients who fail the 2-CdA/ara-C salvage study.
Permanent consequencesResults of the late effects study of the Histiocyte Society
For patients who respond to initial therapy, survival is
suggest that, with a minimum of 3 years of follow-up, at
very good. Reactivation, if it occurs, usually occurs in
least 71% of multisystem and 24% of single-system
nonrisk organs such as skin or bone and is rarely fatal;
patients have at least one permanent consequence, the
however, permanent consequences occur in as many as
most commonly reported being diabetes insipidus
Other than the CNS permanent consequence discussedabove, orthopedic problems, facial asymmetry, residual
One of the major challenges facing investigators is to
proptosis, loss of teeth and hearing loss are seen.
design therapy that prevents reactivations and hopefully
Second malignancies, particularly acute T lymphoblastic
the significant permanent consequences. Review of
leukemia, occur in LCH patients with a much
391 multisystem patients registered on LCH-II showed
higher than expected frequency Others include
that for multifocal bone patients local therapy resulted in
solid tumors, lymphoma and myeloid and lymphoid
a 52% reactivation rate, compared with 45% with single-
drug and 20% with two-drug therapy In addition,retrospective evidence of a significantly decreased inci-
Most of the serious permanent consequences occur in
dence of diabetes insipidus in the German DAL studies,
patients with multisystem disease with lesions involving
which gave therapy for 12 months rather than the
the facial bones and base of skull, particularly those
6 months utilized in most other studies, suggests that
whose disease has a chronically relapsing and remitting
prolonged low-toxicity therapy may be optimal for
course and particular attention needs to be paid to
chronically reactivating disease. The open LCH-III
the therapy of these patients. Extensive surgical resec-
protocol is, in part, designed to determine whether
tions should be avoided, and the use of carcinogenic
prolongation of therapy can reduce reactivations in low
drugs and radiation therapy should be limited to life-
and high-risk multisystem LCH patients.
Late chronic Langerhans cell histiocytosis
Late fibrosis, possibly due to the effect of excess inflam-
matory cytokines such as transforming growth factor-b
Treatment of multisystem LCH is given to improve
, may occur in liver or lung. Late chronic liver disease
survival and to prevent late sequelae. Patients with
presents as sclerosing cholangitis and biliary cirrhosis
extensive disease, but without involvement of ‘risk’
progressing to liver failure while in the lungs
organs, have an excellent survival with minimal therapy.
progression to pulmonary fibrosis may lead to respiratory
For patients with ‘risk’ multisystem LCH, results of the
failure Clinically and radiographically, it is difficult
large randomized cooperative group trials suggest that
to differentiate active LCH from end-stage fibrosis
early therapy with relatively nontoxic chemotherapy
Organ transplantation is the only proven effective
improves survival and may reduce the incidence of late
therapy for end-stage lung and liver disease, and the
complications All these studies show that a
results appear to be durable for most patients, although
lack of response to chemotherapy at 6 weeks is the single
recurrence of LCH in the transplanted organ has been
most important predictor of poor survival Poor
responders have a very poor outcome, but recent datafrom the Japanese LCH study group as well as aFrench pilot study using 2-CdA and high-dose cytosine
arabinoside (ara-C) suggest that early switch of
LCH remains a dilemma for treating physicians. Despite
poor responders to intensive salvage regimens improves
the relative rarity of the disease, pediatricians need to
survival. The majority of patients who fail these intensive
maintain awareness of the condition in order to reduce
salvage regimens die and hematopoietic stem cell
the delay in diagnosis and therapy, and to minimize the
transplantation (SCT) should be considered early for this
frustration felt by parents/patients. In this review, we
group. A review of the literature found 15/27 (56%)
have attempted to highlight a few of the major advances
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in dendritic cell biology that may lead to advances in
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Forget Tort Reform We want Immunity!! Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C. I. Introduction Large corporations and business interests are tired of the “death by a thousand cuts” approach to so-called tort reform efforts. The Tort reform “cuts” were in many forms such as arbitration; who recalls the Scintilla rule?; caps on damages; Daubert or expert challeng
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