Two cases of pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis in postmenopausal women.

[lymphangioleiomyomatosis]

Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis is a rare disease that occurs exclusively in young women , who typically present with progressive dyspnea and repeated spontaneous pneumothorax . The diagnosis of this disease in elderly women with a non-progressive clinical course is extremely rare . We herein report two incidentally discovered cases of pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis in postmenopausal patients . These patients had not presented with any respiratory symptoms . Lymphangioleiomyomatosis may be related to hormonal influences ; however , the etiology and pathogenesis of the pulmonary lesions that develop in postmenopausal females are unclear , even after a review of the literature .