Juvenile xanthogranuloma with recurrent subdural effusions.

A 2-year-old girl with extensive cutaneous xanthogranuloma and recurrent subdural effusions has been investigated. Differentiation from histiocytosis X depended upon light and electron microscopical studies of the cutaneous infiltrate and cells obtained from the cerebrospinal fluid. The recurrent subdural effusions responded well to cranial irradiation. Although juvenile xanthogranuloma is generally a benign cutaneous disorder, a spectrum of naevoid proliferative changes involving systemic organs may occur.