Juvenile xanthogranuloma in a child with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Association of juvenile xanthogranuloma with café-au-lait macules

A 2-year-old boy was referred to the dermatology services for the evaluation of yellowish-brown raised lesions over the face of 3 months' duration. In addition, he had multiple asymptomatic hyperpigmented spots over the trunk, which his parents had noticed at the time of birth. His physical and mental milestones of development were normal. Apart from the cutaneous lesions, the child was otherwise well and there was no history of seizures. He was the only child born to nonconsanguineous parents. No family history of similar lesions was available. The boy weighed 14 kg, had a height of 88 cm, and a head circumference of 48 cm. General physical and systemic examination was normal. Cutaneous examination revealed multiple, yellowish-brown papules over the forehead, sides of the face, and shoulders. The papules measured 0.5-0.8 cm in diameter, were discrete, well defined, oval and flat topped without any surface changes (Fig. 1). Multiple café-au-lait macules varying from 0.5 to 3.0 cm in diameter were present over the trunk (Fig. 2). There was no freckling in the axillary or the inguinal regions and no neurofibromas were present. A diagnosis of juvenile xanthogranuloma was considered. Complete blood counts, urine analysis, hepatic and renal function tests, and serum lipid levels were normal. A skin biopsy from a papule over the shoulder revealed a dense infiltrate in the dermis underlying a normal epidermis. The infiltrate was well demarcated and comprised lymphocytes, eosinophils, and foamy histiocytes along with Touton giant cells and proliferating fibroblasts. This confirmed the diagnosis of juvenile xanthogranuloma. The parents were informed about the benign and self-limiting nature of the disorder and were advised to bring the child for regular follow-up.

Update on juvenile xanthogranuloma: unusual cutaneous and systemic variants

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a well-recognized benign disorder of infancy and early childhood characterized by yellowish cutaneous nodules that spontaneously regress over months to years. In the vast majority of children, JXG is limited to the skin and requires no treatment. Over the past two decades, unusual cutaneous and systemic forms of JXG have been increasingly reported. JXGs have been discovered, usually unexpectedly, in every organ system of the body. Correct diagnosis is crucial to prevent unnecessary invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Unusual clinical and histological variants of JXG often require immunohistochemical studies and/or electron microscopy to establish the diagnosis. Nonlipidized, giant, intramuscular, subcutaneous, and clustered JXG are but some of the variants that are discussed in this article. The immunohistochemistry of JXG, current nosology, and hypotheses regarding the origins of JXG are also reviewed.

Juvenile xanthogranuloma: forms of systemic disease and their clinical implications

OBJECTIVE

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) with systemic (extracutaneous) involvement is a rare histiocytic disorder in which significant morbidity and occasional deaths may occur. The objective of this study was to characterize the spectrum of anatomic involvement, associated clinical problems, and management considerations in children with systemic JXG.

STUDY DESIGN

Two current cases and literature reports of 34 children with various forms of systemic AG were analyzed with respect to age, clinical presentation, site(s) of involvement, therapy, and outcome.

RESULTS

The median age of the 36 patients was 0.3 years (range, birth to 12 years). Symptoms were usually referable to bulky or infiltrative disease. Twenty patients had disease in two or more sites. Cutaneous lesions were present in fewer than half the patients. The most frequent extracutaneous sites of disease were the subcutaneous soft tissue (12); central nervous system (8); liver/spleen (8); lung (6); eye/orbit, oropharynx, and muscle (4 each); with three or fewer instances of disease in each of several other sites. Most patients were treated with excision or had spontaneous regression (some with organ involvement). However, 12 patients received treatment that included radiation or systemic chemotherapy. Survivors, some with long-term disabilities, included young children who had received radiation therapy to the brain, eye, skin, or heart. Two patients died of disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Systemic AG may involve varying numbers and combinations of extracutaneous sites. The extent of disease should be determined in patients with AG who are suspected to have systemic involvement. In contrast to the cutaneous form, systemic AG may be associated with significant complications requiring aggressive medical care. When feasible, surgical excision of lesions may be curative. Optimal treatment for symptomatic, unresectable disease is currently undefined but should be selected to minimize toxic effects in these children who are typically younger than 1 year old at presentation.