Erdheim-Chester Disease

Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare (approximately 500 known cases worldwide), non-inherited, non-Langerhans form of histiocytosis of unknown origin, first described in 1930. It is characterized by xanthomatous or xanthogranulomatous infiltration of tissues by foamy histiocytes, "lipid-laden" macrophages, or histiocytes, surrounded by fibrosis. Diagnosis of ECD involves the analysis of histiocytes in tissue biopsies: these are typically foamy and CD68+ CD1a- in ECD, whereas in Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) they are CD68+ CD1a+. ⁹⁹Technetium bone scintigraphy revealing nearly constant tracer uptake by the long bones is highly suggestive of ECD, and a "hairy kidney" appearance on abdominal CT scan is observed in approximately half of ECD cases. Central nervous system involvement is a strong prognostic factor and an independent predictor of death in cases of ECD. Optimum initial therapy for ECD seems to be administration of interferon α (or pegylated interferon α), and prolonged treatment significantly improves survival; however, tolerance may be poor. Cases of ECD present with strong systemic immune activation, involving IFNα, IL-1/IL1-RA, IL-6, IL-12, and MCP-1, consistent with the systemic immune Th-1-oriented disturbance associated with the disease. More than half of ECD patients carry the BRAF(V600E) mutation, an activating mutation of the proto-oncogene BRAF. A small number of patients harboring this mutation and with severe multisystemic and refractory ECD have been treated with vemurafenib, a BRAF inhibitor, which was proved very beneficial.