Spontaneous regression of infantile dural-based non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis after surgery: case report

The authors report the case of a large left occipital mass lesion in an 8-month-old boy who presented with seizure. Neuroimaging demonstrated an approximately 5-cm extraaxial tumor, and the patient underwent partial resection. The tumor was strongly attached to the tentorium and falx. In the postoperative course the residual lesion regressed spontaneously, and after 5 years only a slight residual tumor remained along the tentorium. Histopathological examination of the tumor revealed non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis (non-LCH). However, the tumor was not diagnosed as juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) because it lacked Touton giant cells. Hence, the authors described this lesion as a fibroxanthogranuloma. Most intracraniospinal non-LCHs have been reported as JXG; however, several cases of xanthomatous tumors with histopathological features resembling those of JXG have been described as fibrous xanthoma, xanthoma, fibroxanthoma, and xanthogranuloma. Among JXG and the xanthomatous tumors, a review of the literature revealed several cases of dural-based tumors; these dural-based tumors have had favorable courses, including the case described in this report. In addition, the patient in the present case experienced spontaneous regression of the residual tumor. The authors report this unique case and review the literature on isolated intracraniospinal non-LCHs, especially in cases of dural-based lesion.