title: Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis and Diabetes Insipidus in a Young Smoker.
abstract: Langerhans cell histiocytosis is characterized by the abnormal nodular proliferation of histiocytes in various organ systems. Pulmonary involvement seen in young adults is nearly always seen in the context of past or current cigarette smoking. Although it tends to be a single-system disease, extrapulmonary manifestations involving the skin, bone, and hypothalamic-pituitary-axis are possible. High resolution CT (HRCT) of the thorax findings includes centrilobular nodules and cysts that are bizarre in shape, variable in size, and thin-walled. Often the diagnosis can be made based on the appropriate clinical presentation and typical imaging findings. Treatment includes smoking cessation and the potential use of glucocorticoids or cytotoxic agents depending on the severity of disease and multisystem involvement.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respirology, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1H 8L6.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Earlam
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1H 8L6.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1H 8L6.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Glikstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1H 8L6.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Division of Respirology, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1H 8L6.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pakhalé
mesh_terms: D003919:Diabetes Insipidus / Q000150:complications; D006646:Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult