-Eosinophilic granuloma is a term reserved for the most often and benign form of disorder known as Langerhans cells histiocytosis. It is a disease of children and adolescents that very rarely affects adults, representing the localized form of a pathological proliferation of histiocytes in bones, like skull and long bones. Vertebral involvement is uncommon, approximately 8% of the cases, being the cervical localization the least affected. Moreover, the involvement of the spinal cord and roots remains a rare occurrence. Only five cases characterized by signs of cervical spinal cord compression have been reported. We report the sixth case in a 42-year-old-man who evolved with resolution of symptoms, and has remained asymptomatic after treatment. The clinical, radiological and histological features and, also, the value, in selected cases, of surgical treatment followed by low-dose radiation therapy is discussed. A review of the pertinent literature is also presented.KEY WORDS: cervical eosinophilic granuloma, cervical spinal cord compression, Langerhans cells histiocytosis. Compressão medular cervical por granuloma eosinofílico: relato de casoRESUMO -Granuloma eosinofílico é um termo reservado para a forma mais frequente e benigna da enfermidade conhecida como histiocitose das células de Langerhans. É uma doença de crianças e adolescentes, muito raramente afetando adultos, representando a forma localizada de uma proliferação patológica de histiócitos em ossos, crânio e ossos longos. O acometimento vertebral é incomum, aproximadamente 8% dos casos, sendo a localização cervical a menos descrita. Além disso, o acometimento da medula espinhal e das raízes é de rara ocorrência. Na literatura foram relatados apenas cinco casos caracterizados por sinais de compressão medular cervical. Relatamos o sexto caso, de um homem de 42 anos de idade que evoluiu com regressão dos sintomas após tratamento, tendo permanecido assintomático. As características clínicas, radiológicas, histopatológica e o valor, em casos selecionados, do tratamento cirúrgico seguido de radioterapia em baixas doses são discutidos. Revisão da literatura pertinente também é apresentada. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: granuloma eosinofílico cervical, compressão medular cervical, histiocitose das células de Langerhans.The term eosinophilic granuloma was introduced in 1940 by Jaffe and Lichtenstein 1 in order to describe an isolated bone tumour, and also to nominate the most benign form of histiocytosis X or, more recently 2 , Langerhans cells histiocytosis, which is a generic term that includes two uncommon diseases: Hand-Schuller-Christian and Letterer-Siwe diseases. Such pathological entities have in common a histopathological characteristic pattern of histiocytary nature (Langerhans cells) associated with eosinophils 1-10 .

No abstract