Solitary eosinophilic granuloma of sternum

Solitary Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the sternum in a 21-year-old woman

Children are more likely to develop Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a rare disorder with an unknown cause. LCH often invades skeletal systems, while it has occasionally been seen in the sternum or ribs. The best course of treatment for single-site, skeletal LCH is yet unknown. We present an instance of sternal LCH with adult onset. By fusing and reconstructing chest computed tomography, it was possible to determine the extent of surrounding soft tissue invasion. Because LCH is so uncommon, it could be challenging to recall when we see a sternal lesion. Adult Patients who arrive with anterior chest discomfort and an osteolytic sternal lesion should include LCH on their differential diagnosis list.

Unusual sites of bone involvement in Langerhans cell histiocytosis: a systematic review of the literature

Background

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease that originates from the uncontrolled proliferation and accumulation of bone marrow-derived immature myeloid dendritic cells. Dendritic cells are a type of histiocyte that play an important role in the human immune system and are found in the bone, skin, stomach, eyes, intestines, and lungs.

Objective

This systematic review aimed to collect and report published case reports of rare bone disease caused by LCH to avoid misdiagnoses or delays in diagnosis.

Methods

We systematically searched Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Sciences from August 1, 2000 to December 31, 2019. Studies reporting cases of LCH with rare bone involvement were included.

Results

We identified 60 articles including 64 cases. Of the identified cases, 31 (48.4%) involved children, and 33 (51.6%) involved adults. Additionally, 46.9% (30 individuals) were from Asian countries. The mean age of the children was 7.6 ± 4.3 years and that of the adults was 36 ± 12 years. The findings indicated that unifocal bone involvements were the most prevalent form of the disease (68.7%), and, overall, the skull and chest wall were the most commonly affected bones in both adults and children. The spine and long bones were the second most commonly affected bones in children, and the spine and jaw were the second most commonly affected bones in adults. Pain and swelling were the most frequent presenting signs among the investigated cases, and loss of consciousness, myelopathy, nerve palsy, visual loss, torticollis and clicking sounds were rare signs. Osteolytic lesions were the most frequent radiologic feature (62.5%), and intracranial hemorrhage, fluid–fluid level, dura and intracranial extension and pathologic fractures were rare radiological features. Total excision, curettage and observation in the unifocal group of patients and systemic chemotherapy in the other groups (i.e., multifocal and multisystem) were the most frequent management approaches. The recovery rates of the unifocal and multifocal groups were 77.3% and 81.8%, respectively, while that of the multisystem group was 55.5%. The rates of recurrence and mortality in the multisystem group were 11% and were higher than those in the other groups.

Conclusions

LCH is a rare disease that can affect any organ in the human body. However, bone is the most commonly involved organ, and rare bone involvements may be the first or only symptom of the disease due to the rarity of such lesions; a lack of familiarity with them may result in misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis.

Localized Chronic Form of Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis in the Femur of a 16-Year-Old Male Successfully Treated with Radiofrequency Ablation

Only three cases of patients suffering from a localized chronic form of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) successfully treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) have been published so far. This is the first case report of a patient with a localized chronic form of LCH of the femur, which was successfully treated with percutaneous image-guided RFA, and who was evaluated pre-RFA and followed up post-RFA for a period of 48 months, in order to validate the safety and efficacy of this method and to obtain imaging studies depicting the actual in situ changes taking place post-RFA. RFA was proved to be a safe and efficient method when treating patients with a localized chronic form of LCH.

Review of chest wall tumors: a diagnostic, therapeutic, and reconstructive challenge

Chest wall tumors are a heterogeneous group of lesions that provide an interesting diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for surgeons. They make up less than 5% of thoracic malignancies and vary widely in pathology as they arise from all anatomic structures of the chest wall. In general, treatment is wide local excision, the margins for malignant disease are necessarily wider, and adjuvant radiation is typically given for those with positive margins. Chemotherapy is rarely effective. Local control is the most important prognostic factor. Disease-free survival for malignant disease is limited by positive margins; therefore full oncologic resection with 4-cm margins should be attempted. For small lesions, the resection and reconstruction is usually straightforward. For more advanced disease or those lesions that require significant functional loss, preoperative planning using a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating thoracic surgery, plastic surgery, neurosurgery, radiation medicine, oncology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation, may be essential.

Solitary Langerhans cell histiocytosis arising from sternum: a case report

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare idiopathic benign disease characterized by proliferation of Langerhans cells, most commonly in the skull. In extremely rare cases, the tumor can occur in the sternum. A 4-year-old girl presented to our institution with a firm, nontender mass in her anterior chest that had indolently enlarged to approximately 2 cm in diameter over the previous several months. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and F18-flurodeoxy-glucose positron emission tomography computed tomography were performed for preoperative diagnosis, but the findings were inconclusive. Therefore, we performed surgical excision under general anesthesia, followed by microscopic and immunohistochemical analysis of the excised specimen. The mass was eventually diagnosed as a LCH arising from the sternum. No postoperative oncological treatment was given, and follow-up has continued for 1 year until the time of writing without any tumor recurrence. To our knowledge, only 10 cases of LCH arising from the sternum have been reported in the medical literature. Among them, surgical approaches including curettage and partial sternotomy were performed in only 6 cases. Without exception, all patients experienced excellent clinical outcomes. Therefore, additional clinical experiences are required. No standard treatment of choice for this disease currently exists. In our experience, curettage of the involved soft tissue mass and bone followed by appropriate reconstruction of the defect is considered a good option for the treatment of solitary LCH of the sternum. In addition, LCH should be considered in the differential diagnoses when a sharp delineated osteolytic mass is detected in the sternum.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the sternum

We report a rare case of Langerhans cell histiocytosis involving the sternum. The patient was a 12-year-old girl presenting with anterior chest pain and swelling. Radiographs and computed tomography showed an osteolytic lesion in the sternum. Technetium bone scintigraphy revealed increased uptakes in the sternum, the greater trochanter of the right femur, and the right distal tibia. Incisional biopsy for the sternum lesion was performed, and the histopathologic diagnosis was Langerhans cell histiocytosis. She was treated with chemotherapy and the symptoms disappeared.

Follicular thyroid carcinoma: metastasis to the sternum, 13 years after total thyroidectomy

Primary and metastatic malignancies of the sternum are uncommon. Secondary lesions to the sternum occur more commonly in patients with lung and breast cancer, and only a few cases of sternal metastasis arising from a follicular thyroid carcinoma have been reported in the literature. Rarely, metastases to the sternum present in the guise of primary sternal tumours may be treated surgically with that diagnosis in mind. We describe a case of a sternal mass treated by radical surgery, which ultimately proved to be a solitary metastasis from a follicular carcinoma of the thyroid, appearing 13 years after total thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine therapy. Late metastatic thyroid carcinoma to the sternum should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of sternal lesions. For patients with thyroid carcinoma and sternal metastasis, we recommend surgical resection of the metastasis, not only as a curative or palliative measure but also to maximise the effect of subsequent radioiodine treatment.

Solitary Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the sternum in a 6-year-old girl: how should it be treated?

We report a 6-year-old girl with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) of the sternum successfully managed with intralesional methylprednisolone. Sternal LCH is a rare condition with only 8 cases published to date. Management has included partial sternectomy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Recent literature regarding the solitary osseous focus of LCH supports conservative management with excellent outcome after intralesional steroid administration and reports of spontaneous resolution of disease. We advocate that conservative management should also be applied to LCH of the sternum.

Solitary eosinophilic granuloma of the sternum

We report a rare case of eosinophilic granuloma of the sternum in a 25-year-old woman, who presented with anterior chest pain and a tender mass over the sternum. Total-body bone scintigraphy and computed tomography scanning of the thorax revealed an isolated lytic lesion of the manubrium. An open biopsy showed the typical histologic appearance of an eosinophilic granuloma. Surgical curettage of the solitary lesion was performed, and the sternal defect was filled with a bone replacement material. At the 2-year follow-up, no local recurrence was found, and the patient was in good health.