Histiocytosis
Rare disorder of excess tissue macrophages affecting children and adults.
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Histiocytosis refers to an excess of histiocytes, which are tissue macrophages, and is also used as a name for a group of rare diseases characterized by this finding. The condition most often affects children under age 10, though adults can also be affected, and it occurs in both human and veterinary medicine.
Quick Facts
- Pediatric incidence
- 1 in 200,000 children in the United States per year
- Typical age range
- Birth to age 15
Facts from the source article.
Classification
Several classification systems exist for histiocytoses. The World Health Organization proposed a three-category system in 1999, while ICD10 and MeSH use slightly different groupings. An alternative division separates X-type histiocytoses from non-X histiocytoses. Lymphohistiocytosis is a related immune disorder involving inappropriate activation of natural killer cells, CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells, and macrophages, primarily affecting the liver, spleen, and central nervous system.
Society
The Histiocytosis Association provides support and educational materials for patients and families. The Histiocyte Society, a nonprofit of over 200 physicians and scientists, conducts clinical and laboratory research and has initiated clinical trials and treatment plans. The North American Consortium for Histiocytosis (NACHO), established in 2014 by 12 institutions with funding from the St. Baldrick's Foundation, collaborates on scientific and clinical research for histiocytic diseases.
More in Monocyte- and Macrophage-related Cutaneous Conditions
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Histiocytosis (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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