VATS biopsy of an adult with pulmonary langerhans cell histiocytosis: case report

Kathy Jane S. Tripole, Jose Luis J. Danguilan, Jaime M. Mendoza, Rex Michael C. Santiago
2021 Journal of Visualized Surgery  
A 29-year-old Filipino male smoker presented with dyspnea and a right-sided pneumothorax with subsequent chest tube drainage. Chest CT scan revealed multiple diffuse and mostly interconnected thin and thick-walled cystic structures of varying sizes and shapes with most located in both upper lobes. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) wedge resection of the right lower lobe posterobasal segment and mechanical pleural abrasion were done. Intraoperatively, there were multiple bullae and
more » ... use small cysts interspersed with normal lung tissue. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry findings revealed pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH). Smoking has been hypothesized to induce a clonal proliferative, neoplastic process or a reactive immune activity in PLCH. The patient was advised smoking cessation and is on close follow-up. He is doing well 10 months after hospital discharge. PLCH is a very rare disease and diagnosis was obtained by VATS. To the authors' knowledge, this is also the first fully documented case of PCLH in the Philippines. Cite this article as: Tripole KJS, Danguilan JLJ, Mendoza JM, Santiago RMC. VATS biopsy of an adult with pulmonary langerhans cell histiocytosis: case report. J Vis Surg 2021;7:21.
doi:10.21037/jovs-2020-02 fatcat:47atyimqrfb7xkbinpzftg35mu