title: Pulmonary lymphangiectasis in an asymptomatic adult.
abstract: Pulmonary lymphangiectasis is a rare anomaly in infancy that is characterized by dilatation of pulmonary lymphatic vessels resulting in fetal respiratory distress. Pulmonary lymphangiectasis is considered to occur exclusively in young children and neonates, and very few survive beyond an early age. We herein present an asymptomatic adult case of localized pulmonary lymphangiectasis with multiple nodules. A 27-year-old asymptomatic female presented with multiple nodules on chest computed tomogram images. An exploratory video-assisted thoracoscopy revealed multiple yellowish cysts on the visceral pleura, which were histologically diagnosed as lymphangiectasis. In the present study, the pathogenesis and clinical characteristics are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery and Pathology, Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka City, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshitomo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Noriyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sawabata
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008200:Lymphangiectasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted