title: Neurofibromatosis-associated lung disease: a case series and literature review.
abstract: An association of neurofibromatosis with diffuse lung disease (NF-DLD) has been described, but its true prevalence and characteristics remain unclear. The objective of the present study was to define diffuse lung disease in patients with neurofibromatosis. A retrospective case series and literature review in a tertiary care academic medical centre is reported in which medical records, chest radiographs and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans were reviewed. A total of 55 adult patients with neurofibromatosis were identified, three of whom had NF-DLD. A literature review revealed 16 articles reporting 61 additional cases, yielding a total of 64 NF-DLD cases. The mean age of patients was 50 yrs. Males outnumbered females; most reported dyspnoea. Of the 16 subjects with documented smoking histories, 12 were ever-smokers. Eight patients had HRCT scan results demonstrating ground-glass opacities (37%), bibasilar reticular opacities (50%), bullae (50%), cysts (25%) and emphysema (25%); none had honeycombing. A group of 14 patients had surgical biopsy results that showed findings of interstitial fibrosis (100%) and interstitial inflammation (93%). In conclusion, neurofibromatosis with diffuse lung disease is a definable clinical entity, characterised by upper lobe cystic and bullous disease and lower lobe fibrosis. Its relationship to smoking remains unclear.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Zamora
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Collard
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Wolters
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017253:Neurofibromatoses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests