Rosai‐Dorfman disease successfully treated with thalidomide: A case report

Long-time remission of laryngeal Rosai-Dorfman disease with thalidomide: a report of three cases

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE

Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a benign and rare non-Langerhans cell histiocytic proliferative disorder. Laryngeal involvement is an unusual site of extranodal involvement of RDD. Laryngeal RDD can cause life-threatening airway obstruction that requires effective control of the disease. In this study, we report three cases of laryngeal RDD with excellent and durable responses to thalidomide.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION

Patient 1 was a 39-year-old male who presented with a two-year history of nasal obstruction. Patient 2 was a 26-year-old woman who presented complaining of a hoarse voice for one year. Patient 3 was a 24-year-old man who presented with complaints of a hoarse voice and progressing dyspnea for five months. Electronic laryngoscopy revealed submucous nodular lesions in the nasal cavity, nasopharynx, and larynx of the three patients. Biopsy of the lesions showed large histiocytes with abundant pale cytoplasm which were S-100 and CD68 positive consistent with RDD.

INTERVENTION

Before thalidomide treatment, patient 1 received chemotherapy and six times surgical excision due to the recurrence of laryngeal lesions. Patient 2 failed steroid treatment. Patient 3 underwent an emergency tracheostomy due to airway obstruction. All three patients then received thalidomide 100 mg/d treatment and achieved satisfactory and durable responses with the longest follow-up of 45 months.

CONCLUSION

Thalidomide may induce long-term remission in laryngeal RDD.