Malignant histiocytosis. Histiocytic medullary reticulosis.

Three cases of malignant histiocytosis occurring in children aged 2 months, 10 months and 14 years, are described. In all children the diagnosis was based on anaemia, granulocytopenia or thrombocytopenia, splenomegaly and marked erythrophagocytosis by bone marrow and lymph node atypical histiocytes. Two children aged 10 months and 14 years, underwent splenectomy after which combined chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone (COP) was started. In the older child a complete remission was achieved. The younger child died soon after the onset of the treatment. The youngest child was treated with bleomycin, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone (BACOP). He died of pneumonia and sepsis two months after the start of the treatment.