J Neurol Surg A Cent Eur Neurosurg 2019; 80(01): 049-052
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1655769
Case Report
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis of the Adult Cervical Spine: A Case Report and Literature Review

Ralph T. Schär
1   Division of Neurosurgery, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2   Department of Neurosurgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
,
Ekkehard Hewer
3   Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
,
Christian T. Ulrich
2   Department of Neurosurgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

05 December 2017

20 February 2018

Publication Date:
11 June 2018 (online)

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Abstract

A 36-year-old man was diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) of the cervical spine with a unifocal expansive osteolytic lesion of C4. The surgical management with a 2-year follow-up and a review of the literature on LCH of the cervical spine are presented. Although a rare condition, LCH is an important differential diagnosis of any osteolytic lesion in the cervical spine with localized pain in a young adult patient. Review of the literature suggests a higher prevalence of LCH lesions affecting the cervical spine as compared with the thoracic or lumbar spine than historically reported.