Birbeck granules: contribution to the comprehension of intracytoplasmic evolution.

We investigated the ultrastructure of Birbeck granules which are found in some malignant histiocytoses such as histiocytosis X, Letterer-Siwe disease, Hand-Schüller-Christian disease, eosinophilic granuloma of the bone and self-healing reticulohistiocytosis. The research is based on the systemic study of Birbeck granules, from their formation to intracytoplasmic development, examining with the electron microscope at regular intervals ultrathin sections derived from biopsies of two cases of Langerhans cell histiocytosis.