Langerhans cell histiocytosis of vulva in adolescent

Isolated Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis of the Vulva in a 28-Year-Old Lady: A Report of a Case and Brief Review of the Literature

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare, proliferative disorder of Langerhans' cells. The presentation can vary from single organ involvement to multisystem and disseminated in severe cases, affecting children more than adults. Isolated vulvar involvement of LCH in a 28-year-old woman has rarely been described and also there are limited data for diagnosis and treatment. Herein, we report the case of a 28-year-old woman with isolated vulvar LCH, misdiagnosed with herpes simplex infection, successfully treated with thalidomide.

Management of adult primary vulvar Langerhans cell histiocytosis: review of the literature and a case history

Primary vulvar Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is extremely rare and there are no standard treatment options. This review of the published literature with a case report aimed to clarify the optimal treatment for patients with this condition. Medline and PubMed were searched and all cases of primary vulvar LCH reported as single case reports or small case series were reviewed. A patient with vulvar LCH treated in this department is also reported. Twenty-seven cases, including the reported case, were reviewed. First-line treatments included surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, thalidomide and local treatment. The mean follow-up time was 21.1±17.7 months. Although no patient died from the disease, recurrence rates were high (62%) and the mean time to relapse was 10.9±11.8 months (range 1-36 months). Treatment with thalidomide was successful, resulting in long-lasting remission. Disease recurrence is likely after surgery and or radiotherapy, and these treatments together with chemotherapy affect the patient's wellbeing adversely. Although definitive conclusions await further work, thalidomide has minimal adverse effects, is easy to administer and should be considered as a first-line treatment or as maintenance therapy in some patients.

A patient with lichen sclerosus, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, and invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva

We report a patient with vulvar lichen sclerosus, Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), and later vulvar cancer. In LCH, high amounts of non functional Langerhans cells are present in the affected tissue, making it possible that LCH may have contributed to vulvar cancer development in this patient.