EOSINOPHILIC GRANULOMA OF BONE PRESENTING NEUROLOGIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Abstract

Eosinophilic granuloma is a newly recognized benign destructive lesion of bone. In 1940 Otani and Ehrlich¹and Lichtenstein and Jaffe²described a solitary lesion of bone in which the medullary space was replaced by a granuloma packed with a multitude of eosinophils. Later, Farber³reported cases in which the lesions were multiple. The cause is undetermined. Otani and Ehrlich expressed the belief that the disease follows local trauma, while Lichtenstein and Jaffe stated that an infectious agent was implicated, possibly a virus. Farber stated the opinion that eosinophilic granuloma is akin to Hand-Schüller-Christian disease and Letterer-Siwe disease. Eosinophilic granuloma afflicts young persons of either sex and has a predilection for flat bones, although any bone may be affected. There are no symptoms of generalized illness—no fever, malaise, loss of weight or anemia. The classic signs of diabetes insipidus, exophthalmos, dwarfism and mental deterioration observed in cases of