Non-Langerhans cell histocytosis of the skin

ABSTRACT

Histiocytic proliferations may be reactive or neoplastic. The neoplastic proliferations [histiocytoses] are subdivided into a few categories. One of these categories is the non-Langerhan's cell histiocytoses [NLCH]. Cutaneous NLCH is a heterogeneous collection of conditions which can be sub grouped on the basis of the morphological appearance of the lesional histiocyte into xanthomatized, oncocytic, vacuolated, spindle-cell and polymorphous subtypes. The clinical characteristics and histological appearances of a variety of conditions within each subtype are discussed