Case ReportsPulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis Presenting as a Solitary Nodule
Section snippets
REPORT OF A CASE
A 45-year-old male cigarette smoker presented with an asymptomatic solitary pulmonary nodule in the left upper lobe. He underwent thoracotomy and wedge excision of the lesion. After the operation, he continued to smoke. Twenty-one years later, at the age of 66 years, he presented with a new asymptomatic solitary nodule in the right upper lobe. Computed tomography showed only a single pulmonary nodule with no evidence of interstitial lung disease. Since the second lesion was benign by
DISCUSSION
In our patient, PLCH presented as an asymptomatic solitary pulmonary nodule, a rare manifestation of this disease. To our knowledge, only 3 similar patients have been described,2, 3, 4 only 2 in the peer-reviewed literature.2, 4
Fichtenbaum et al2 described a 58-year-old man with a 42-pack-year history of cigarette smoking in whom a nodule (1.0 cm in greatest dimension) was detected in the right middle lobe on a preoperative chest radiograph. He was asymptomatic with no radiographic
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Cited by (20)
Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis in children: A spectrum of radiologic findings
2014, European Journal of RadiologyCitation Excerpt :The appearance of new nodules later in the disease when the cystic change is well established, is a rare finding, and indicates disease progression [9,18,27]. Rare radiographic manifestations of PLCH include ground glass opacities such as desquamated interstitial pneumonia (DIP)-like changes (Fig. 16), mosaic attenuation pattern (Fig. 17), emphysema (traction) [9,19,27], air space consolidation (multifocal fibrotic consolidation) [10], solitary pulmonary nodule, endobronchial mass with distal consolidation [28–31], pleural effusion/hydropneumothorax (Fig. 18) and mediastinal/hilar lymphadenopathy (Fig. 18) [9,12,25,32]. Very rarely, PLCH has been reported to be associated with active pulmonary tuberculosis [33,34].
Abnormal fluorodeoxyglucose PET in pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis
2009, ChestCitation Excerpt :Lung nodules may predominate in early disease and raise concern for malignancy. In addition, unusual radiologic findings have been described, including mediastinal adenopathy,17 presentation as a solitary pulmonary nodule,18,19 consolidative opacities,20 and pleural effusions.21,22 Depending on the clinical context, the presence of any of these findings may raise concern for malignancy and prompt further diagnostic testing, including an FDG-PET scan.
Obstructing tracheal pulmonary langerhans cell histiocytosis
2005, ChestCitation Excerpt :A follow-up FOB showed only a small endotracheal scar at the site of the excised mass. Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis, or pulmonary eosinophilic granuloma, is an uncommon interstitial lung disorder that is characterized by the abnormal proliferation of Langerhans cells.1,2 Most patients present with nonspecific respiratory complaints such as dyspnea, cough, and chest pain, and sometimes hemoptysis occurs.2
Pulmonary Langerhans' cell histiocytosis
2004, Clinics in Chest MedicineAdult pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis
2004, EMC - PneumologiePulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis: An Unusual Differential for a Solitary Lung Nodule
2024, Case Reports in Pulmonology