Primary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis in Thyroid

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare group of neoplastic diseases resulting from Langerhans dendritic cells. The most common site (80%) is bones. Thyroid gland involvement is exceedingly rare and usually expected to be seen as a part of multisystemic disease.

We present a 45 year old male patient operated due to multinodular goiter and neck pain, and diagnosed with LCH in his postoperative pathologic examination. As a result of the systemic screening performed after the pathological diagnosis, the disease was interestingly localized to the thyroid gland. Systemic involvement did not develop in the two-year follow-up of the patient who did not receive additional chemotherapy treatment.

It is difficult to diagnose LCH in the thyroid gland before surgery. Although surgical treatment with or without chemotherapy is recommended, surgery is not recommended alone since it is generally systemic involvement. However, in primary thyroid LCH cases limited to the thyroid gland, we recommend that only total thyroidectomy treatment should be kept in mind.