Central nervous system involvement in Erdheim-Chester disease

OBJECTIVE: CNS involvement in Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) leads to substantial morbidity and mortality. To assess CNS manifestations in a French cohort of 253 patients with ECD, we determined clinical characteristics and outcomes, including those under targeted therapies. METHODS: This was a retrospective longitudinal study. CNS manifestations were determined by clinical examination and brain or spine MRI. Targeted therapy efficacy was assessed using global assessment from a physician and a radiologist. The study was approved by the ethics committee Comité de Protection des Personnes Ile de France III. Seventy-four CNS MRIs were centrally reviewed, which showed 3 patterns: tumoral in 66%, pseudo-degenerative in 50%, and vascular in 18%. Targeted therapy (BRAF or MEK inhibitors) was associated with improved symptoms in 43% of patients and MRI improvement in 45%. CONCLUSIONS: CNS manifestations are typically associated with poor prognosis in patients with ECD. Three distinct patterns can be recognized: tumoral, pseudodegenerative, and vascular. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class III evidence that targeted therapy leads to clinical or imaging improvement in almost 50% of patients.