Cytohistological correlation of Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the spine in a young adult

Abstract

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare multisystem disorder with a common histopathological finding of Langerhans-type cell proliferation mixed with a milieu of inflammatory cells. Bone involvement is a common presentation occurring in children and young adults. Recent studies using cell-specific gene expression profiling suggest that LCH arises from bone marrow-derived immature myeloid dendritic cells. We present a case of solitary LCH of cervical vertebrae in a young adult with pain and numbness in the shoulder diagnosed on fine-needle aspiration and confirmed on histopathology and immunohistochemistry. It was treated with tumor resection and stabilization of the vertebrae.