Abstract
We report a case in which surgical curettage and topical steroid therapy were effective for Langerhans cell histiocytosis （LCH） in the mandible. A 14-year-old boy was referred to our hospital because of swelling and pain in the left side of the mandible. Computed tomography （CT） revealed a fracture in the buccal cortical bone with an unclear boundary at the mandible in the left lower molar, with a lesion that had progressed to the left masseter muscle. A biopsy was performed, and a diagnosis of LCH was obtained. Whole-body examination, including positron emission tomography-CT, was performed, and single-system single-site type （SS type） LCH was diagnosed. Treatment consisted of surgical curettage and topical steroid administration. Steroids were administered locally at each site, taking into consideration the possibility of lesions remaining around the inferior alveolar nerve and the masseter muscle extension area. Three months after the operation, CT findings demonstrated remarkable bone regeneration, and no recurrence was found at 1-year follow-up. Surgical curettage combined with topical steroid administration in SS type LCH seems to be an effective treatment for patients in whom complete curettage is difficult or who have a relatively wide range of lesions.
