title: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis.
abstract: Lymphangiomyomatosis (LAM) is a progressive disease afflicting women of childbearing age. LAM remains a rare disease, unfamiliar to many clinicians. It usually poses a diagnostic dilemma for the primary physician, possibly resulting in a delayed or missed diagnosis, unnecessary operative intervention, and inappropriate therapy. LAM is characterized microscopically by abnormal smooth muscle proliferation causing gradual obstruction of small airways, lymphatics, and vasculature. The proliferation eventually results in a characteristic clinical syndrome of progressive dyspnea, recurrent pneumothorax, chylous effusion, and hemoptysis. Despite a variety of treatment regimens developed since the first description of LAM, patient survival has not improved appreciably. Most patients die within 10 years of the time of diagnosis. This report presents a patient with LAM and a review of the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Chandler Medical Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40536-0084.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Davey
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cibull
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Strodel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008203:Lymphangiomyoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000473:pathology*; D010388:Pelvis; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed