title: [Adult pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Report of one case].
abstract: Adult pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) is a rare disorder of unknown etiology that occurs predominantly in young smokers, with an incidence peak at 20-40 years of age. In adults, pulmonary involvement with Langerhans cell histiocytosis usually occurs as a single-organ disease and is characterized by focal Langerhans cell granulomas infiltrating and destroying distal bronchioles. We report a 23-year-old asymptomatic male smoker with a non specific interstitial infiltrate found in preventive chest X ray examination. A high resolution chest CT scan showed multiple cystic structures predominating in the upper lobes, with small centrilobular nodules. A transbronchial biopsy showed a lymphocytic lung infiltrate with Langerhans cells. A surgical biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis. After six months of follow up, the patient is in good conditions.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Osses
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saldías
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D006646:Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult