title: Etoposide in the treatment of six children with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (histiocytosis X)
abstract: Six children received etoposide as the single agent for treatment of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH; histiocytosis X). Five were less than 2 years old at diagnosis. All had multiorgan involvement; one had liver and pulmonary dysfunction. Two infants also had clinical signs of immune deficiency. Complete response was observed in five. There was no major toxicity. Although three of four evaluable patients relapsed, the drug was considered useful in moving the children from a symptomatic to an asymptomatic clinical status. Etoposide may become a "first-line" drug in the treatment of systemic LCH, especially when the side effects of steroid therapy are considered unacceptable.
authors.affiliation: Hematology Division, Hospital das Clinicas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Viana
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Rios Leite
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005047:Etoposide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006646:Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000150:complications; D007223:Infant; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide