title: Incidental langerhans cell histiocytosis of thyroid: case report and review of the literature.
abstract: We report a case of a 42-yr-old woman with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) confined to the thyroid and associated with lymphocytic thyroiditis and a papillary microcarcinoma. This patient remains free of symptoms 14 mo after surgery. Thyroid LCH is rare. In children, it usually occurs as part of a multisystemic disease, whereas it is usually exclusive in adults. Isolated thyroid LCH is frequently associated with another thyroid disease, especially lymphocytic thyroiditis, suggesting that it is a reactive process rather than a neoplastic proliferation. The prognosis of isolated thyroid LCH is good. However, because it can rarely precede or reveal a multisystemic disease, additional investigations as well as a prolonged follow-up are justified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, General Hospital, Le Mans Cedex, France. aoulet@ch-lemans.fr
authors.forename: Armelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foulet-Rogé
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Josselin
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guyetant
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gardet
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Besancon
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Saint-André
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fabiani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006646:Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome