Cutaneous Langerhans cell histiocytosis in an elderly man successfully treated with narrowband ultraviolet B

Abstract

Conflicts of interest: none declared. Sir, Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is characterized by infiltration and proliferation of pathogenic Langerhans cells in various organs. LCH can occur in patients of any age, but it has two peak ages of occurrence. The first peak occurs at a mean age of 18 months, and the second occurs between the ages of 30 and 50 years.1, 2 LCH in adults, especially in subjects aged over 70 years, is very rare. Narrowband ultraviolet (UV) B is a newly developed therapeutic modality that utilizes a very narrow wavelength band of UVB (peak at 311 ± 2 nm). Narrowband UVB has the advantage over conventional broadband UVB therapy that it has a reduced risk of burning and contains fewer carcinogenic wavelengths. It has been shown to be effective in early‐stage mycosis fungoides3 and other inflammatory skin diseases. We report the first case of successful remission of cutaneous LCH in an elderly man by narrowband UVB irradiation.