To the Editor:—
To the best of my knowledge, in 1966 The Journal (197:403, 1966) described the only reported case of adult, disseminated histiocytosis X to be treated with inin- travenously administered vinblastine sulfate. Although vinblastine was probably beneficial in that case, since little evidence of histiocytic proliferation was discovered at autopsy, corticosteroids had been simultaneously administered making it difficult to fully assess the individual drug's therapeutic value. Prior to report, intravenous administration of vinblastine had only been found to produce remissions in certain childhood varieties of histiocytosis X.1,2 In order to clarify the role of vinblastine therapy in treating adult, disseminated histiocytosis X, the following case, in which this therapy appeared to be life saving, is briefly described.
Report of a Case:—
A 54-year old man who had a histologically proven four-year history of disseminated histiocytosis X was admitted on July 8, 1968, due to a 22.7-kg