Langerhans cell histiocytosis in the adult lumbar spine: case report

Spinal Langerhans cell histiocytosis with cord compression and neurological deficits: A case report

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare idiopathic disease that uncommonly affect the spine in adults.

CASE PRESENTATION

In this report, we presented a rare adult case of symptomatic spinal LCH with asymptomatic systemic involvement. She was a 46-year-old previously healthy lady who presented with subacute thoracic sensory level, urine retention, constipation, and pyramidal paraplegia. Her magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine revealed T6 compression fracture with an epidural mass compressing the cord.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

Sellar MRI showed pituitary gland enlargement with hyperintense signal in the posterior lobe. Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) scan showed an increased uptake in the right parotid gland uptake and renal cortex, indicating systemic involvement.

CONCLUSION

Surgical excision, decompression, and screw fixation were performed, and the patient improved. The prognosis is usually good in patients with solitary spinal LCH.

Spinal tumours: recommendations of the Polish Society of Spine Surgery, the Polish Society of Oncology, the Polish Society of Neurosurgeons, the Polish Society of Oncologic Surgery, the Polish Society of Oncologic Radiotherapy, and the Polish Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

PURPOSE

The purpose of these recommendations is to spread the available evidence for evaluating and managing spinal tumours among clinicians who encounter such entities.

METHODS

The recommendations were developed by members of the Development Recommendations Group representing seven stakeholder scientific societies and organizations of specialists involved in various forms of care for patients with spinal tumours in Poland. The recommendations are based on data yielded from systematic reviews of the literature identified through electronic database searches. The strength of the recommendations was graded according to the North American Spine Society's grades of recommendation for summaries or reviews of studies.

RESULTS

The recommendation group developed 89 level A-C recommendations and a supplementary list of institutions able to manage primary malignant spinal tumours, namely, spinal sarcomas, at the expert level. This list, further called an appendix, helps clinicians who encounter spinal tumours refer patients with suspected spinal sarcoma or chordoma for pathological diagnosis, surgery and radiosurgery. The list constitutes a basis of the network of expertise for the management of primary malignant spinal tumours and should be understood as a communication network of specialists involved in the care of primary spinal malignancies.

CONCLUSION

The developed recommendations together with the national network of expertise should optimize the management of patients with spinal tumours, especially rare malignancies, and optimize their referral and allocation within the Polish national health service system.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis: unusual dorsal spine localization in an adult male

This case report describes the clinical, imaging, and pathological features of a case of Langerhans cell histiocytosis affecting a patient suffering from chronic thoracic spine pain. Spinal localizations of Langerhans cell histiocytosis have been rarely described and they are usually characterized by involvement of vertebral bodies with osteolytic lesions. Our case presented with several unusual features that delayed the diagnosis, including the age of patient and the involvement of left T10 costovertebral junction with relative sparing of vertebral body and costal bone. The clues for diagnosis were represented by increased signal intensity both on T ₂W fat-saturated and T ₁W images after administration of gadolinium. The diagnosis was finally confirmed by means of percutaneous biopsy with subsequent histological/immunohistochemical study.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis at L5 vertebra treated with en bloc vertebral resection: a case report

BACKGROUND

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) in adult lumbar spine is extremely rare, and optimal treatments remain unclear. In literature, only a few cases of lumbar spine LCH were treated using surgery but en bloc vertebral resection has not been used.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 50-year-old man presented with unbearable radiating pain at his right leg. Radiological studies revealed a solitary osteolytic lesion, which was moderately enhanced on contrast MR imaging and hyper-metabolic on PET/CT, at the right L5 vertebral body and arch. In biopsy, Langerhans cells were observed, but findings were insufficient to establish a diagnosis of LCH. A modified L5 en bloc vertebral resection via anterior and posterior approaches was performed to remove the right 2/3 portion of the L5 vertebra. The left 1/3 vertebral body and left pedicle of L5, which were not affected, were kept in situ to allow short instrumentation and reconstruction. His leg pain disappeared after the surgery, and a precise diagnosis of LCH was established after a throughout histological study of the removed vertebra. The patient further accepted 1 cycle of low-dose radiotherapy postoperatively. At 18-month follow-up, the lumbosacral spine was fused and no local reoccurrence was noticed.

CONCLUSIONS

For lumbar spine LCH, surgery should be considered if there are neurological symptoms or histological diagnosis is indefinite in biopsy. En bloc vertebral resection can be used to alleviate neurological symptoms and prevent local reoccurrence.