Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis with a solitary nodule in a nonsmoker patient
Ryosuke Nagaokaa Hidehiro Iriea Takahiro Fukuia Koharu Haradaa Yohei Funatsua Tomonari Kinoshitab Tatsuya Yamamotob Hidefumi Koha Kuniaki Nakanishic
aDivision of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Tachikawa Hospital
bDepartment of Pulmonary Surgery, Tachikawa Hospital
cDepartment of Diagnostic Pathology, Tachikawa Hospital
A 69-year-old woman with no symptoms and no history of smoking was found to have a nodule in her right lung, which was detected on an annual X-ray examination. Chest computed tomography scan showed a solitary nodule in the right lower lobe. The nodule demonstrated a tendency to increase in size, suggesting it was lung cancer. She underwent a right lower lobectomy. Pathological findings showed histiocytes around the dilated bronchi and the cells were positive for CD1a and S-100 proteins, leading to the diagnosis of pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH). PLCH is a rare disease that occurs primarily among smokers and is characterized by proliferation and infiltration of Langerhans cells, eosinophils, and other inflammatory cells. PLCH is known as a diffuse lung disease and generally presents with granular and nodular shadows, and cysts in the upper and middle lobes. We report an extremely rare case of PLCH in a nonsmoker showing a solitary lung nodule.
Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis Solitary pulmonary nodule
Received 22 Aug 2024 / Accepted 22 Aug 2024
AJRS, 13(6): 306-309, 2024