Spontaneous and complete regeneration of a vertebra plana after surgical curettage of an eosinophilic granuloma.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The eosinophilic granuloma is a unifocal or multifocal Langerhans cell histiocytosis characterized by an expanding proliferation of Langerhans cells in bones. Skeletal LCH is a rare condition, and vertebral regeneration in cases of vertebral body collapse is even rarer. We report the case of a girl with spontaneous complete healing.

METHODS AD RESULTS:

A 3-year-old girl was referred for nighttime back pain, with no fever and no neurologic signs. Within a few days, she developed sudden painful restriction of all spine movements. X-ray and computed tomography (CT) of the spine showed reduced T7 vertebral body height (vertebra plana).The patient underwent T7 curettage and the histopathological exam was suggestive of LCH. Two additional skull lesions were found and therefore she underwent chemotherapy. After 7 years of follow-up, total vertebral reconstruction was observed.

CONCLUSIONS:

Despite the rarity of the condition and despite the rarity of vertebral body lesion resolution, total vertebral body reconstruction was observed over a 7-year period. Long-term follow-up is necessary for a better understanding of the final outcome of patients with EG.

• Authors: Francesca Di Felice, Fabio Zaina, Sabrina Donzelli, Stefano Negrini
• Journal: European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society (Eur Spine J) Vol. 26 Issue Suppl 1 Pg. 225-228 (05 2017) ISSN: 1432-0932 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 28361364 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Back Pain (etiology)
• Child, Preschool
• Curettage (methods)
• Eosinophilic Granuloma (complications, diagnostic imaging, surgery)
• Female
• Fractures, Spontaneous (etiology)
• Humans
• Radiography
• Regeneration
• Spinal Diseases (complications, diagnostic imaging, surgery)
• Spinal Fractures (etiology)
• Thoracic Vertebrae (diagnostic imaging, physiology, surgery)
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed