Published online Nov 16, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i32.12045
Peer-review started: August 20, 2022
First decision: September 5, 2022
Revised: September 7, 2022
Accepted: October 12, 2022
Article in press: October 12, 2022
Published online: November 16, 2022
Processing time: 80 Days and 4.9 Hours
Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease of unknown etiology. LCH involving the thymus is mainly seen in pediatric patients and is extremely rare in adults. In this report, we describe a rare case of LCH originating from the thymus in an adult.
A 56-year-old man was admitted in April 2022 with complaints of intermittent dizziness since 2020, which had worsened in the previous 10 d. The physical chest examination was negative, and there was a history of hypertension for > 2 years. Chest computed tomography showed a nodular soft tissue density shadow in the anterior mediastinum measuring approximately 13 mm × 9 mm × 8 mm. Postoperative pathological findings confirmed the diagnosis of LCH.
It is challenging to differentiate LCH involving the thymus from thymoma in imaging features. Pathological biopsy remains the gold standard when an anterior mediastinal occupying lesion is found.
Core Tip: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is an infrequent clinical hematological disorder. The gold standard for diagnosis is surgical biopsy for pathological examination and immunohistochemical analysis. We report a rare case of LCH with monosystemic involvement, which, when combined with previous case reports of LCH, reveals that LCH involving only the thymus is extremely rare in adults. The imaging features are similar to those of thymoma and may provide additional diagnostic ideas in the detection of anterior mediastinal occupations.