RADIOLOGY OF THE MONTH: Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (PLCH).

PURPOSE: Obtaining a tissue sample diagnostic of pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) by transbronchial biopsy is notoriously difficult. The condition's appearance on computed tomography is well described and singularly characteristic, perhaps adequate for definitive diagnosis. We propose an approach to diagnosis of these patients.

METHODS: Radiology case report of PLCH in a middle-aged female smoker with two week history of nonproductive cough, low grade fevers, and fatigue.

RESULTS: Computed tomography (CT) provided the diagnosis of PLCH. Transbronchial biopsies failed to provide a definitive diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS: Utility of transbronchial biopsy in diagnosis of PLCH is limited. Patients who present with signs, symptoms and high resolution computed tomography typical of PLCH do not require a correlation by tissue diagnosis. If cancer is suspected, a wedge biopsy should be performed for tissue diagnosis.