title: RADIOLOGY OF THE MONTH: Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (PLCH).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obtaining a tissue sample diagnostic of pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) by transbronchial biopsy is notoriously difficult. The condition's appearance on computed tomography is well described and singularly characteristic, perhaps adequate for definitive diagnosis. We propose an approach to diagnosis of these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Radiology case report of PLCH in a middle-aged female smoker with two week history of nonproductive cough, low grade fevers, and fatigue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Computed tomography (CT) provided the diagnosis of PLCH. Transbronchial biopsies failed to provide a definitive diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Utility of transbronchial biopsy in diagnosis of PLCH is limited. Patients who present with signs, symptoms and high resolution computed tomography typical of PLCH do not require a correlation by tissue diagnosis. If cancer is suspected, a wedge biopsy should be performed for tissue diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Medical student at Tulane University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Tatyana E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Fontenot
authors.affiliation: A Tulane University Internal Medicine resident and is now a Radiology resident at New York University.
authors.forename: Neal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Viradia
authors.affiliation: A chief resident at Tulane University Internal Medicine.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pollard
authors.affiliation: Section editor, is a Professor of Radiology, and the Chairman of the Department of Radiology at Tulane UHSC.
authors.forename: Harold R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Neitzschman
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006646:Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed