cutaneous histiocytoses

CUtaneous histiocytoses are a heterogeneous group of disorders that are characterized by the proliferation and accumulation of reactive or neoplastic histiocytes.

Three classes of histiocytoses have been defined:

• class I, Langerhans cell histiocytosis;
• class II, non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis without features of malignancy;
• class III, malignant histiocytic proliferations.

Although the disorders in classes I and II usually have a benign appearance on histology and are commonly non-aggressive and self-healing, some can cause debilitating or even fatal outcomes.

Classification

 congenital self-healing histiocytosis (CD1a-, S-100-) (1908575)
 cutaneous langerhans histiocytosis
 cutaneous juvenile xanthogranuloma
 sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy
 regressing atypical histiocytosis

 nonfamilial histiocytic dermatoarthritis and familial histiocytic dermatoarthritis
 multiple widespread benign lesions

• xanthoma disseminatum
• generalized eruptive histiocytoma
• nodular non-X histiocytosis
• various xanthomatous eruptions associated with paraproteinemia

References

 Newman B, Hu W, Nigro K, Gilliam AC. Aggressive histiocytic disorders that can involve the skin. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007 Feb;56(2):302-16. PMID: 17097374

 Ringel E, Moschella S. Primary histiocytic dermatoses. Arch Dermatol. 1985 Dec;121(12):1531-41. PMID: 2998286