A case of rosai-dorfman disease with highly elevated serum ferritin

Ann Lab Med. 2012 Mar;32(2):158-61. doi: 10.3343/alm.2012.32.2.158. Epub 2012 Feb 23.

Abstract

Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy, also known as Rosai-Dorfman disease is a rare disorder characterized by proliferation of distinctive histiocytes within lymph node sinuses and lymphatics, sometimes involving extranodal sites. However, clinical suspicion is difficult and there is also a lack of useful diagnostic markers for this disorder prior to histological confirmation. High elevation of serum ferritin is known to be a useful diagnostic marker for various hematologic diseases, including hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and lymphoma. Here, we report a case of fever of unknown origin that presented along with highly elevated serum ferritin (5,780 ng/mL), and was finally diagnosed as Rosai-Dorfman disease by lymph node biopsy.

Keywords: Ferritin; Fever of unknown origin; Rosai-Dorfman disease; Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • C-Reactive Protein / analysis
  • Female
  • Ferritins / blood*
  • Histiocytosis, Sinus / blood
  • Histiocytosis, Sinus / diagnosis*
  • Histiocytosis, Sinus / pathology
  • Humans
  • L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / blood
  • Lymph Nodes / pathology
  • Multimodal Imaging
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • C-Reactive Protein
  • Ferritins
  • L-Lactate Dehydrogenase