Colon involvement in Langerhans' cell histiocytosis

Background: Langerhans' cell histiocytosis (LCH), a granulomatous disorder of unknown cause, most often affects the bony skeleton and skin. Obvious gut involvement is uncommon, and colon involvement has been cited in only a small number of case reports, probably because most patients who have LCH with diarrhoea and/or failure to thrive are not investigated by colonoscopy and biopsy. The current study was conducted to determine the incidence of symptomatic colon involvement among patients with multisystem LCH treated at a single institution. Method: A retrospective review of cases in hospital records and the literature. Results: Of the 275 children with LCH in the database, 5 were identified as having biopsy-confirmed colonic involvement. Another 14 cases were identified by a literature review. Conclusion: Colonic involvement in patients with multisystem LCH is probably more common than currently recognised. In addition to the other investigations recommended by the Writing Group of the Histiocyte Society, it is recommended that patients with any symptoms suggestive of gut involvement undergo colonoscopy and biopsy of the colonic mucosa. (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Inc.