Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (pulmonary LCH) is an uncommon disorder, characterized by the accumulation of CD1a+ Langerhans cells (LCs) organized in granulomas that develop in, and destroy the wall of distal bronchioles. In adults the disease occurs predominantly in young smokers from both genders, with a peak incidence at 20-40 yrs of age, although female may be slightly older. High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the lung has provided a considerable input for the diagnosis of pulmonary LCH.~We conducted a multicenter retrospective study on patients with pulmonary LCH who were sequentially evaluated by concomitant lung HRCT and lung function testing. The objectives of this study were: 1) to determine the changes over time of lung function parameters in patients with pulmonary LCH; 2) to compare the variations of HRCT and lung function results during follow-up; 3) to address the respective interest of these investigations for identifying the patients who eventually will experience a progression of their disease. Results of this study may help to improve the management of patients with adult pulmonary LCH.
this is a multicenter retrospective study on patients with pulmonary LCH who were sequentially evaluated by concomitant lung HRCT and lung function testing. The objectives of this study were: 1) to determine the changes over time of lung function parameters in patients with pulmonary LCH; 2) to compare the variations of HRCT and lung function results during follow-up; 3) to address the respective interest of these investigations for identifying the patients who eventually will experience a progression of their disease.