cystic lung diseases


Lymphangioleiomyomatosis cystic lung disease mimics.

(A) Centrilobular emphysema—note the lack of a true cyst wall and the presence of the centrilobular artery (arrowhead) within the cystic region. (B) Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis—note unusually shaped cysts (arrowheads) and numerous nodules. (C) Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome—note lower lobe predominance of cysts. Spontaneous pneumothorax (asterisks) is present bilaterally. (D) Lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia—the cysts in this disorder may closely simulate lymphangioleiomyomatosis, particularly when no other infiltrative parenchymal findings coexist. (E) Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, presented for comparison. Note the relatively uniform, thin-walled appearance of the cysts with normal-appearing intervening lung parenchyma.1

Footnotes

  1. Murray and Nadel Ch 97 Lymphangioleiomyomatosis