Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis

Case contributed by Fabio Macori
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Smoker with initial symptoms characterized by back pain. MRI has demonstrated the presence of an osteolytic area of a vertebral body.

Patient Data

Age: 40 years
Gender: Female

HRCT shows the presence of a couple of small cystic lesion in the anterior segment of the right upper lobe and the presence, above all in the right lobe, of small nodules.

Bone window shows the osteolytic lesion of the body of L1

Case Discussion

Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a rare, multi-systemic pathology that can affect many organs, including bones and lungs and largely affecting females, with a higher prevalence in smokers.

In the present case, the symptomatology began at a skeletal level, but showing some pulmonary findings compatible with an early stage of pulmonary involvement.

The diagnosis was made with the biopsy of a spinal lesion, with histology confirming Langerhans cell histiocytosis

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