Langerhans cell histiocytosis with multifocal bone lesions: comparative clinical features between single and multi-systems

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) can be a single system or multi-system disease. Both disease types can be associated with multi-focal bone lesions, but their bone involvement patterns have not been compared systematically. Of the new pediatric LCH cases enrolled into the JLSG-02 study during 2002–2007, 67 cases of single system multifocal bone (SMFB) LCH and 97 cases of multi-system bone (MSB) LCH were analyzed to determine if the bone involvement patterns differ in these two types, and whether these differences correlate with outcome. Statistical analysis was performed with Mann–Whitney U test, Fisher’s exact test, and other measures. Onset ages were higher for SMFB ( P < 0.001), but the two types did not differ in the number of bone lesions per patient. The skull was most frequently affected in both types, followed by the spine. Lesions in the temporal bone ( P = 0.002), ear-petrous bone ( P < 0.001), orbita ( P = 0.003), and zygomatic bone ( P = 0.016) were significantly more common in MSB. The two types did not differ in response to treatment, but MSB was associated with a significantly higher incidence of diabetes insipidus (DI) ( P < 0.001). Novel measures are required in preventing the development of DI in MSB-type LCH patients with “risk” bone lesions.