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Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a clonal neoplastic disorder of myeloid dendritic cells that can involve multiple organs, including the pituitary and brain. Therapy is usually initiated with a combination of vinblastine, prednisone, and 6-mercaptopurine, but drug resistance and relapses are common.
To determine if hydroxyurea can induce remissions in LCH, investigators evaluated 15 patients (median age, 41.2 years; range, 2.5–73.2 years) with recurrent skin or bone disease with or without lymph node involvement. Patients received hydroxyurea in doses titrated to an absolute neutrophil count of 1000 to 1500 per µL; if a partial remission or stable disease was achieved, methotrexate 5 to 10 mg twice weekly was added. Median duration of …