title: [Pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis diagnosed by video-assisted thoracic surgery; report of a case].
abstract: Pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease which occurs mainly in women of child-bearing age. The clinical characteristics of LAM include recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax, dyspnea on exertion, hemoptysis, chylothorax, and so on. A 41-year old woman was referred to our department for treatment of recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed right pneumothorax and multiple small bullae located bilateral lung. These CT findings were most suggestive of LAM. To obtain a definitive diagnosis and treat pneumothorax, we performed a thoracoscopic lung biopsy, bullectomy, plication of bullae, and also performed mechanical and chemical pleurodesis. Histopathological examination of surgical specimen using immunohistochemical staining of HMB-45 and alpha-SMA revealed the proliferation of LAM cells, confirming a diagnosis of LAM. Here, we report a case that was diagnosed as LAM by thoracoscopic lung biopsy and treated by thoracoscopic surgery and pleurodesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Ishikawa Prefectural Central Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsunezuka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018192:Lymphangioleiomyomatosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted