Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology Advance Access originally published online on June 5, 2008
Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology 2008 38(6):451-454; doi:10.1093/jjco/hyn042
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© The Author (2008). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved
Multifocal Micronodular Pneumocyte Hyperplasia Associated with Tuberous Sclerosis: Differentiation from Multiple Atypical Adenomatous Hyperplasia
1 Division of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Medicine Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki
2 Department of Pathology, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki
3 Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan
For reprints and all correspondence: Yoshihiro Kobashi, Division of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki 701-0192, Japan. E-mail: yoshihiro{at}med.kawasaki-m.ac.jp
Received March 3, 2008; accepted May 3, 2008
We report a peculiar case of multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia (MMPH) in a 54-year-old woman with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) diagnosed during antituberculous treatment. Findings were initially detected by chest computed tomography (CT) to check for complication of pulmonary tuberculosis. Chest CT demonstrated multiple small nodules with ground-glass opacity, measuring up to 5 mm diameter, presenting in the bilateral lung fields, without cystic change. Because the differentiation from multiple atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) was necessary, we finally performed a diagnosis of MMPH based on specimens obtained by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Histologically, type II pneumocytes without nuclear atypia lined the thickened alveolar septa and proliferated papillary structures. There was no proliferation of immature smooth muscle cells suggestive of lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Although immunohistochemical stains for cytokeratin and surfactant apoprotein A and B were positive for alveolar lining cells in each MMPH lesion, those for HMB-45, alpha-smooth muscle actin, p53 and carcinoembryonic antigen were negative. We must consider MMPH as part of the differential diagnosis along with multiple AAH when multiple small nodules with ground-glass opacity were observed on chest CT in patients with TSC.
Key Words: multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia tuberous sclerosis complex video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery