Objective: To improve the recognition of the clinical presentation and radiologic manifestation of children with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) with pulmonary involvement.
Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted on children who presented with respiratory symptoms or abnormal lung radiologic findings, and finally diagnosed with LCH in Ward 2 of Divison of Respiratory Diseases, Beijing Children's Hospital during the last 4 years.
Result: Fourteen children (10 boys and 4 girls) were included in this study. Male to female ratio was 2.5: 1. The median age was 1.3 years. Pulmonary involvements were coexisted with other involved organs in all the patients, such as skin (10 cases, 71%), liver (8 cases, 57%), and bone involvement (7 cases, 50%). The most common symptoms were cough and fever (7 cases, 50%). Respiratory symptoms were nonspecific, and 3 children had no respiratory symptom but abnormal findings on lung high-resolution CT (HRCT). The most common HRCT finding was the coexistence of nodules and cysts (6 cases, 43%). Other findings include cysts only (5 cases, 36%), nodules only (1 case), and with neither nodule nor cyst (2 cases, 14%). Pneumothorax was found in 7% of children.
Conclusion: Pulmonary involvement in children with LCH is easily misdiagnosed, and often coexisted with other involved tissues/organs such as skin and liver. Rash, which is easily missed in physical examination is very important for the diagnosis of LCH. The characteristic findings of lung HRCT (nodules and/or cysts) are helpful for diagnosis.