title: Low-dose oral etoposide monotherapy in adult Langerhans cell histiocytosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to test the disease-controlling effect of low-dose oral etoposide monotherapy in adult-onset multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosis. There are no previous reports of low-dose etoposide monotherapy for this condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 27-year-old man with a 7-year history of multifocal chronic Langerhans cell histiocytosis presented with severe disabling ulcers in intertriginous areas. He had previously been treated with 2 different regimens of antitumoral chemotherapy; one had to be discontinued due to myelosuppression and the other had proved ineffective. We treated with oral etoposide monotherapy at 50 mg/d (22 mg/m2 per day) for 21 days. The treatment was repeated at 28-day intervals for a total of 6 cycles. A rapid initial response with subtotal diminution of the involved skin area was found. No adverse effects were observed. The clinical picture has remained stable during the 7 months following cessation of therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-dose oral etoposide treatment is an adequate therapeutic measure for prolonged disease control in adult-type Langerhans cell histiocytosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. peter.helmbold@medizin.uni-halle.de
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Helmbold
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hegemann
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Holzhausen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klapperstück
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Marsch
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006646:Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D005047:Etoposide