Enlargement of Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the hypothalamus with progression into the basal ganglia and white matter

Background Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease that may affect the central nervous system; it is caused by dendritic cell proliferation, and typically occurs in children. LCH frequently appears in the pituitary stalk and rarely results in multiple enhanced lesions in the brain parenchyma. Case description We present a case of a 40-year-old woman who deveolped panhypopituitarism and central diabetes insipidus in the postpartum period requiring hormone replacement therapy. At first, magnetic resonance imaging only revealed thickening of the pituitary stalk; while 6 months later, a single enhanced mass lesion was detected in the hypothalamus. Another 5 months later, the lesion had enlarged with appearance of multiple, enhanced satellite lesions in the basal ganglia and white matter. The patient underwent successful craniotomy to obtain a biopsy sample; LCH of the hypothalamus was definitively diagnosis by histopathological examination. Steroids were administrated and resulted in significant reduction of all lesions. Conclusions Definitive histopathological diagnosis and subsequent appropriate therapy, such as steroid administration, are required when LCH lesions in the hypothalamus become progressively enlarged and new lesions appear in the brain parenchyma.