[Xanthoma disseminatum: a rare case involving the upper extremity]

Abstract

We describe a dramatic case of class II non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis, xanthoma disseminatum, in a 30-year-old male patient with progressive involvement of the skin, vocal cords, eyes, bones and nerves in spite of chemotherapy with Vespesid and immunotherapy with interferon-gamma. At the age of 43 years, the patient required surgical clearance of airways, eyelids and peripheral nerves, but at present exhibits stable disease on a combination of lipid-lowering drugs including thiazolidinedione.