Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis: A diagnostic challenge.

Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis, also called as lipoid dermato-arthritis is a rare form of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis characterised by nodular and papular skin lesions containing characteristic bizarre multinucleate giant cells with ground glass cytoplasm. The disease commonly involves the skin, mucosa, synovium, and internal organs with cutaneous nodules and progressive erosive arthritis being the most common presenting features. We report a case of a 61-year-old male presenting with multiple swellings over distal part of fingers for 6 years without involvement of joints. A diagnosis of multicentric histiocytosis was made based on typical histopathological features of sheets of histiocytes and multinucleate giant cells with ground glass eosinophilic cytoplasm. The disease has a low incidence and about 300 cases have been reported so far in literature. The present case is being reported as it is uncommon for the disease to present in absence of arthritis.