The lungs and bones are most frequently affected. Eosinophilic granuloma tends to start between ages 20 and 40. When the lungs are affected, the symptoms can include coughing, shortness of breath, fever, and weight loss, but some people have no symptoms. All three disorders may be treated with corticosteroids and cytotoxic drugs such as cyclophosphamide, although no therapy is clearly beneficial. The therapy for bone involvement is similar to that for bone tumors.
Death usually results from respiratory failure or heart failure.
This disease affects mainly children but can also affect adults. Some of the blood that leaks out of the capillaries is taken up by scavenger cells in the lung. The breakdown products of the blood irritate the lung and lead to scarring. The frequency and severity depend on how often the capillaries bleed into the lungs. After the lungs become scarred, shortness of breath develops.