Malignant histiocytosis presenting with vasculitis and cutaneous erythrophagocytosis.
We report a case of malignant histiocytosis that presented initially as a cutaneous vasculitis without malignant features. A subsequent biopsy specimen of an erythematous skin lesion showed erythrophagocytosis by normal-appearing histiocytes within the subcutis. The recognition of erythrophagocytosis was followed by systemic symptoms and signs of malignant histiocytosis and a rapidly deteriorating clinical course. Possible mechanisms for erythrophagocytosis are discussed, and other diseases associated with this histologic finding are reviewed briefly.
D000328:Adult; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D006644:Histiocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D010587:Phagocytosis; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology