Diffuse Cystic Lung Disease at High-Resolution CT

Abstract

HRCT is an important modality in the evaluation of interstitial lung disease to include cystic lung disease. Although most commonly associated with lymphangioleiomyomatosis or Langerhans cell histiocytosis, cystic lung disease is increasingly being recognized as a feature of other entities. Awareness of the spectrum of HRCT findings associated with these diseases may help the trained observer narrow the differential diagnosis.

Pulmonary Mucosa-associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALT) Lymphoma with Multiple Thin-walled Pulmonary Cysts: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…On the other hand, the major CT find- ings of LIP are characterized by the presence of groundglass attenuation, poorly defined centrilobular nodules, subpleural small nodules, thickening of the bronchovascular bundles, interlobular septal thickening and the presence of cystic airspace (12,13). The typical CT findings of FB are characterized by centrilobular or peribronchial nodules measuring 3-12 mm in diameter (14). Therefore, we also suspected that the pulmonary findings in this case could possibly be due to LIP and/or FB based on the presence of multiple pulmonary cysts, ground-glass attenuation and small nodules.…”

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis — a wolf in sheep’s clothing

“…21). Typical findings on lung biopsy include smooth muscle cell infiltration of lymphatics, airways, vessels, and alveolar septa (22).…”

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Complicated by Gestational Trophoblastic Tumor: An Ominous Coincident

“…Based on existing guidelines, our patient who had characteristic features on HRCT (>10 thin-walled round well-defined cysts with no interstitial lung disease) in addition to associated compatible clinical features (multiple and/or bilateral pneumothorax) could be categorized as Probable LAM [6]. Other diseases that cause diffuse cystic lung disease include: Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, Lymphocytic Interstitial Pneumonia, Amyloidosis, Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome and Cystic Pulmonary Metastatic Disease [7]. Although there are rare case reports of cystic lung disease due to metastasis [8,9], or pneumothorax as the result of metastasis [10], there are some facts in this patient that are in favor of LAM instead of metastasis as primary disease: our patient was a woman in childbearing age; she reported the onset of her symptoms from 8 years ago after her first pregnancy; her menstruation was regular till 2 months before the occurrence of pneumothorax, so the GTD has been ensued recently; in addition to characteristic cystic lung involvement, she had multiple, bilateral and recurrent pneumothorax which is common in LAM especially during gestations.…”