Abstract. Langerhans' cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, varying from an isolated lesion to systemic involvement. The etiology of this disease remains to be elucidated. The present study reports a case of LCH with temporal fossa localization in an 8-year-old male patient, who had exhibited left temporal pain and headache for 1 month. Physical examination revealed slight exophthalmos and conjunctival hemorrhage in the patient's left eye, and non-contrast computed tomography imaging of the head revealed a soft tissue mass with unclear margins located in the left temporal fossa, as well as a wide bony defect. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a heterogeneously contrast-enhanced mass near the left temporal pole, which eroded into the patient's left orbit and maxillary sinus. The lesion was totally excised and confirmed to be LCH through biopsy.
IntroductionLangerhans' cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations (1). The primary pathogenesis of this disease is an abnormal proliferation of Langerhans' cells, which are typically present only in the dermis (1). A total of three different terms, namely eosinophilic granuloma, Hand-Schüller-Christian disease and Letterer-Siwe disease, were used in the past to describe a group of disorders characterized by increased numbers of histiocytes (2). In 1953, Lichtenstein (3) summarized these disorders as histiocytosis X, due to their similar histopathologies, and in 1987, the term LCH was recommended by The Writing Group of the Histiocyte Society as the official definition for this syndrome (4). The clinical appearance of LCH is dependent on the location of the lesion. The abnormal accumulation of histiocytes may occur in almost every organ, including the central nervous system, skin, bone, bone marrow, lung, liver, spleen and lymph nodes, and may cause associated signs and symptoms (4). Therefore, LCH may be classified as monosystemic or plurisystemic, according to the number of organs involved (5). The diagnosis of LCH is based on pathological examination. Typical accumulation of histiocytes, electron microscopic observation of Birbeck granules and the presence of Langerhans' cell-associated markers, including cluster of differentiation (CD)1a and S-100 protein, are crucial for establishing a diagnosis of LCH (6). LCH is typically considered to be an extremely rare disease of childhood, with an incidence rate of ~2-5/1,000,000 children/year (7). There are no specific signs and symptoms associated with LCH involving the skull, and the most common presentation is a painful and immobile scalp mass, which may be palpable in certain cases (5,8). Epistaxis or otorrhagia may be exhibited when the lesion invades the paranasal sinuses or external ear canal (5,8).The present study reports the case of an 8-year-old male patient with an LCH lesion in his left temporal fossa, and aims to provide clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of intracranial LCH.
Case reportAn 8-yea...