Treatment of Langerhans cell histiocytosis in children with etoposide.

Ten children with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) were treated with etoposide. For five patients, this was the initial diagnosis. The other five had failed to respond to previous therapies. Etoposide (100 mg/m2) was given intravenously twice a week for 4 weeks, followed by maintenance therapy every 2 to 4 weeks for 2 years. All 10 patients responded to etoposide, and 6 of them (60%) have been in complete remission for 3 to 36 months without any side effects. One patient relapsed with diabetes insipidus, one with a soft tissue mass, and two others developed multiple bone lesions. Chemotherapy with etoposide appears to be effective and safe for the treatment of children with systemic LCH.