Cervical meningeal histiocytosis demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

Involvement of the central nervous system by histiocytosis X is usually restricted to the parasellar region. A rare case of histiocytosis X involving the cervical meninges in a 12-month-old boy is demonstrated and the magnetic resonance features of this tumor are described.

Meningeal Tumors of Childhood and Infancy. An Update and Literature Review.

“…Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH; histiocytosis X or eosinophilic granuloma) has a predilection for children less than 10 years of age. Involvement of the CNS or meninges usually represents contiguous spread from bony lesions of the skull (51,82). Nevertheless, suprasellar localization has also been described and may be associated with diabetes insipidus.…”

Primary Langerhans' cell histiocytosis of the central nervous system with fatal outcome

“…3 Isolated involvement of the CNS by LCH without evidence of systemic disease is rare. Hypothalamic involvement 24,25,45 suggests disease; however, isolated involvement of the spinal cord 10,18,46 or cerebral cortex, as in our case, constitutes a diagnostic challenge. To our knowledge, only nine cases of isolated cerebral LCH have previously been reported in the literature.…”