XANTHOGRANULOME JUVENILE SIMULANT UN HYGROMA DU COUDE : A PROPOS DUN CAS ET REVUE DE LA LITTERATURE

Juvenile xanthogranuloma is a non-Langerhansian histiocytosis that is clinically manifested by a yellowish nodule. The objective of this work is to discuss the anatomo-clinical aspects of this condition and its differential diagnoses. We report the case of a 38-year-old patient with juxta-articular swelling of the elbow clinically simulating hygroma. Xanthogranuloma is a benign, self-involutive form of non-Langerhansian histiocytosis that appears early in life. Diagnosis is usually clinical in the most typical forms. In other cases, histological analysis is necessary to support the diagnosis by the demonstration of a dense dermal infiltrate delimiting foamy histiocytes mixed with very characteristic Touton giant cells. The differential diagnosis is made with the other etiologies of histiocytic proliferations namely langerhansian histiocytosis, papularxanthoma and dermato fibroid hence the interest of carrying out an immunohistochemical supplement before retaining the histological diagnosis of xanthogranuloma. To conclude, the diagnosis of juvenile xanthogranuloma is often clinical in the most typical forms. In other cases, histological study is essential to support the diagnosis. The immunohistochemical study, as well as the comparison with clinical and paraclinical data are of great help in eliminating differential diagnoses.