Generalized Eruptive Histiocytoma: Report of a Pediatric Case

Abstract

A one-year-old boy was seen with brownish, flat papules on his face, neck and upper arms. The lesions were symmetric, discrete, slightly raised, firm to the touch, and asymptomatic papular eruptions. Histological and immunohistochemical investigation revealed monomorphous infiltration of S-100 negative, lysozyme negative, and alpha 1-antitrypsin negative, but alpha 1-antichymotrypsin positive and vimentin positive histiocytic cells with small numbers of lymphocytic cells. The histiocytic cells did not show any foamy changes in the cytoplasm. No giant cells were found. The lesions increased in number during the first few years and then spontaneously regressed by the sixth year of age, leaving partial brownish pigmentation.

Generalized eruptive histiocytoma of childhood

“…GEH in adults showed self‐healing nature and the other cases in children including our case also showed spontaneous regression 1 –4 . Complete spontaneous regression in children as in our case was described in one case 4 . Dark lipid bodies, 2 dense bodies, 3 comma‐shaped bodies 3 and myeloid bodies 5 on electron microscopy (EM) have been described in the previous reports of GEH.…”

“…We propose that GEH can be divided into two subsets—an indifferent stage of other histiocytic syndromes and a specific condition without subsequent disorder. GEH in adults showed self‐healing nature and the other cases in children including our case also showed spontaneous regression 1 –4 . Complete spontaneous regression in children as in our case was described in one case 4 .…”

“…GEH appears in successive crops and usually subsides spontaneously. GEH may occasionally affect children, and until recently, seven cases were described in the English literature 2 –5 . We describe a case of GEH in 70‐day‐old male infant showing rapid progression and spontaneous complete regression.…”

Histiocytic Disorders with Spontaneous Regression in Infancy

“…GEH is a rare, benign, histiocytic disorder characterized by recurrent crops of small, firm, tan to reddish papules that appear in a symmetrical fashion on the face, trunk, and arms, affecting mainly adults (5). Recently eight cases of GEH in children have been described (6,22–25). Among those cases, ours (patient 7) was included (6).…”

Generalized Eruptive Histiocytoma: A Pediatric Case

“…Typical features include widespread, essentially symmetric, multiple lesions particularly involving the trunk and proximal portions of the extremities and, rarely, the mucous membranes; distinct flesh‐colored to blue‐red papular lesions, evenly distributed without a tendency to group; progressive development of new lesions without a previous history of trauma; spontaneous resolution of lesions toward brown macules or complete disappearance; and a benign histologic picture of mononuclear histiocytic cells. GEH affects mainly adults, but eight cases of GEH in children have been reported (5,6,11–13,15,16). In the previous eight reports of GEH of childhood, the age of onset was 70 days–4 years.…”