Eosinophilic granuloma of the skull--report of four cases.

Eosinophilic granuloma is a benign form of the three clinical variants of histiocytosis-X. It is an uncommon, localized granulomatous process, forming solitary or multiple lytic skeletal lesions, and primarily involving male children and young adults. We studied 4 cases, three boys and one girl, aged 4, 8, 27 and 12 years, in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from 1981 to 1990. Their common presentation was the rapidly growing, painful, and protruding scalp masses without neurological deficits. En bloc excisions of these lesions were performed. Then radiotherapy was given postoperatively in two cases, chemotherapy in one, and no adjuvant treatment in one. During their follow-up period of 2 to 10 years, all 4 patients were well, without evidence of recurrence.