Histiocytosis

Alternate Names : Pulmonary Histiocytosis X, Histiocytosis X, Eosinophilic Granuloma, Nonlipid Reticuloendotheliosis, Langerhans Histiocytoses, Letterer-Siwe Disease, Hand-Schuller-Christian Disease, Pulmonary Langerhans' Granulomatosis

Histiocytosis refers to a group of disorders in which there is an abnormal amount of scavenger cells, called histiocytes, in the blood.

What is going on in the body?

There are histiocytosis diseases that affect adults and those that affect children. In adults, the lungs are affected. There is inflammation of the small airways and small blood vessels in the lungs. It is often linked with cigarette smoking. In children the bones are affected. In many cases the skull is involved. However, any other single site or multiple sites can be affected.

What are the causes and risks of the condition?

Although the cause of histiocytosis is unknown, it is much more likely to occur in a person who smokes cigarettes.