Benign cephalic histiocytosis progressing into juvenile xanthogranuloma: a non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis transforming under the influence of a virus?

Benign cephalic histiocytosis (BCH) is best understood as a form of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis, specifically as an early mononuclear variant of juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG). However, the progression of BCH into JXG in the same patient has only been reported once before. We describe the case of a 2-year-old girl with asymptomatic, large, ill-defined infiltrated flat plaques over both cheeks, in addition to isolated papules. A punch biopsy of a plaque revealed dermal infiltration by vacuolated and scalloped histiocytes positive for CD68 KP-1, and that lacked expression of CD1a and S-100 protein, favoring macrophages over Langerhans cells. Electron microscopy study showed comma-shaped intracytoplasmic bodies in the histiocytic cells leading to the diagnosis of BCH. One year later, after an episode of varicella-zoster infection, the flat plaques over the cheeks became large reddish-yellow nodules, and in a second biopsy appeared to progress to JXG. Virus-related mechanisms of progression are discussed.

Elejalde syndrome--a melanolysosomal neurocutaneous syndrome: clinical and morphological findings in 7 patients.

BACKGROUND: Silvery hair and severe dysfunction of the central nervous system (neuroectodermal melanolysosomal disease or Elejalde syndrome) characterize this rare autosomal recessive disease. Main clinical features include silver-leaden hair, bronze skin after sun exposure, and neurologic involvement (seizures, severe hypotonia, and mental retardation). Large granules of melanin unevenly distributed in the hair shaft are observed. Abnormal melanocytes and melanosomes and abnormal inclusion bodies in fibroblasts may be present. Differential diagnosis with Chédiak-Higashi syndrome and Griscelli syndrome must be done. OBSERVATIONS: We studied pediatric patients with silvery hair and profound neurologic dysfunction. Immune impairment was absent. Age of onset of neurologic signs ranged from 1 month to 11 years; the signs included severe muscular hypotonia, ocular alterations, and seizures. Mental retardation since the first months of life was noted in 4 cases. Psychomotor development was normal in 3 cases, but suddenly the patients presented with a regressive neurologic process. Four patients died between 6 months and 3 years after the onset of neurologic dysfunction. One patient showed characteristic ultrastructural findings of Elejalde syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Elejalde syndrome is different from Chédiak-Higashi and Griscelli syndrome and is characterized by silvery hair and frequent occurrence of fatal neurologic alterations. Psychomotor impairment may have 2 forms of presentation: congenital or infantile. Although Elejalde syndrome and Griscelli syndrome are similar, the possibility that they are 2 different diseases, although probably allelic related, is suggested.

Cytomegalovirus infection in children: frequency, anatomopathologic characteristics and underlying risk factors in 1618 autopsies.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in children with postmortem study. The records of 1618 autopsies performed during 1980-1989 at the Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez were reviewed. Characteristic cytomegalovirus inclusion bodies were identified, in one or several organs, in 47 cases (2.9% of the autopsies). None of these cases was cultured for viruses prior to or at the time of autopsy. Of the 47 cases, 24 (51%) with CMV were younger than 3 months and 38 cases (80%) younger than 12 months of age. In eight cases, the infection was judged as generalized and considered the cause of death. Two of these patients were premature and the infection was most probably intrauterine. The risk factor most frequently identified was secondary immunosuppression. The lung was the most common affected organ, followed by kidney, adrenals, pancreas, liver, brain and salivary glands. In seven cases the inclusion bodies were seen in the brain and in three others periventricular calcifications without inclusion bodies were observed. Although not a rarity in Mexico, CMV infection is not often suspected. Additional studies are needed in order to determine the prevalence of CMV infection in Mexico.

Progressive osseous heteroplasia, uncommon cause of soft tissue ossification: a case report and review of the literature.

We report a case of an uncommon, recently described disease manifesting shortly after birth, characterized by extensive soft tissue calcification with ossification, progressive osseous heteroplasia. We describe the complex histopathologic patterns present in this case, discuss the main differential diagnoses that the surgical pathologist must consider when confronted by soft tissue ossification, and review the pertinent literature. We conclude that although the morphologic patterns of ossification in progressive osseous heteroplasia are complex and the involvement is extensive, the morphology of the lesions lacks diagnostic specificity. The diagnosis must be based on a consideration of the combined clinical data and radiologic and pathologic findings. This approach alone makes it possible to exclude a number of clinicopathologic entities that manifest with so-called osteoma cutis but whose associated lesions and genetic implications are different.