Background: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) in children is relatively rare, and the long-term analysis of therapy results has not been done yet in Hungary.
Purpose: In this review we summarise the incidence, clinical features, prognostic risk factors and treatment results of children's LCH in Hungary, using data from the National Childhood Cancer Registry in Hungary in a 20-year period between 1981 and 2000.
Results: From January 1981 to December 2000, 111 children under 18 years of age were newly diagnosed with LCH in Hungary. The male-female ratio was 1.36:1, the mean age: 4 years 11 months. The minimal and median follow-up time was 3.48 years and 10.98 years respectively. 38 children had single-system disease, while in 73 cases we found systemic dissemination already at the time of diagnosis. Twenty-two patients were treated only by local surgery, 7 by surgery with local irradiation and 5 children received only local irradiation. In two cases remission was obtained with local steroid administration. 75 patient received chemotherapy. During the twenty years 14 children died, 9 due to the progression of the disease. Sixteen of the 111 patients had relapse with a mean of 2.16+/-1.29 years after the first diagnosis. Three patients with relapse got chemotherapy generally used in lymphoma and remission was achieved. The overall survival of all patients (n=111) was 88.3+/-3.1% at 5 years and 87.3+/-3.2% at 10 and 20 years.
Conclusion: Childhood LCH is a well treatable disease and the survival rate is high. Even disseminated diseases have a quite good prognosis in childhood.