Early Detection of Pulmonary Lymphangioleiomyomatosis by Spontaneous Pneumothorax A Case Report

A 31-year-old female was admitted because of dyspnea. A chest X-ray showed pneumothorax. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest revealed scattered thin-walled cystic lesions in both lung fields. Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) was confirmed by a thoracoscopic lung biopsy, which revealed the nodular proliferation of immature smooth muscle cells that stained positive for HMB-45, desmin, α-smooth muscle actin, progesterone receptor and estrogen receptor when examined using immunostaining techniques. Medroxyprogesterone was prescribed. This report describes the early detection of LAM using chest CT scans and a thoracoscopic lung biopsy in a patient that experienced a spontaneous pneumothorax.