Lymphangioleiomyomatosis: a radiological diagnosis

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease which predominantly affects young females and is commonly found in association with tuberous sclerosis. 1 The clinical features result from progressive cystic destruction of the lungs and the accumulation of LAM cells within the lungs and axial lymphatics. 2 The gold standard for the diagnosis of LAM is a tissue biopsy which shows nodular infi ltration by abnormal smooth muscle cells, termed LAM cells. Not all patients with LAM require tissue biopsy for a defi nitive diagnosis as the disease has a characteristic computer-ised axial tomography (CAT) appearance in the majority of cases. The author reports a 34-year-old non-smoking African–American female who presented to the clinic with progressive shortness of breath (Figure 1). CAT scan chest showed multiple well-defi ned thin-walled bilatera