Rare Case of Adult Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis: A Case Report

Abstract

Background: Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) is a disease characterized by proliferation and infiltration of histiocytes in various organs that is caused by local or systemic effects. LCH could affect bones, lungs, central nervous system, liver, thymus, skin, and lymph nodes. The diagnosis of LCH is difficult to enforce and rarely found in adults, namely 1-2 cases per million per year.

Case Presentation: In Indonesia, there were very few cases of LCH in adults, one of which was found in women aged 56 years. LCH does not yet have standard treatments. The treatment is given based on location and severity, including intralesional corticosteroid injection, radiotherapy, surgical or excision curettage, and chemotherapy. Prednisone and vinblastine chemotherapy was one of chemotherapy that is given to LCH patients. Prognosis of LCH consists of various factors, one of which is the number of organs involved. This is a case report of LCH in an adult male patient with skin involvement who received chemotherapy for 6 weeks and experienced improvement.

Conclusions: LCH is not only a disease of children; it is also reported in an adult. The prognosis is related to the number of organ involved and involvement of the risk organ. LCH can recur easily and accompany malignant tumors, so follow-up and long-term observations are still needed to be done.