July 2026 Research Update

This month, the new reports mainly showed how lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) can be identified in situations where it was not initially suspected. In one case it came to light after a spontaneous lung collapse, and in another it was found in retroperitoneal lymph nodes examined during cancer care. Together, these reports reinforce that LAM can involve both the lungs and lymph nodes, and sometimes the diagnosis happens during workups done for other reasons. [1] [2]

In the lung-focused case, a woman developed a spontaneous pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and chest imaging showed many thin-walled cysts throughout both lungs, leading to a LAM diagnosis. The same report also described chylothorax (a milky fluid buildup in the chest) found when fluid was drained, and noted that another small pneumothorax occurred months later. This helps connect the day-to-day reality of pneumothorax episodes with the imaging pattern that raises concern for LAM. [1]

In the lymph node case, LAM was identified outside the lungs, involving retroperitoneal lymph nodes in a patient being treated for metastatic endometrial cancer. The authors noted that pelvic or lymph node LAM can be subtle and is often diagnosed incidentally when lymph nodes are removed and examined under a microscope. This widens the picture of where LAM cells can show up, even when lung symptoms are not the main focus. [2]

For patients and caregivers, these reports mainly add context about how LAM sometimes enters the story: through a pneumothorax evaluation or as an unexpected finding in lymph node tissue removed for another reason. This does not test a new LAM treatment, but it can help people make sense of why LAM workups may include looking for lung cysts, fluid in the chest, or (less commonly) disease outside the lungs. What remains uncertain is how often these pathways to diagnosis occur, because the evidence here comes from individual cases and a narrative review rather than larger patient groups. [1] [2]

This month included one report focused on what lung surgery can look like when someone has both LAM and early-stage lung cancer. The case showed that a minimally invasive robotic lobectomy was completed and the patient did not have a persistent air leak, which is a common worry in cystic lung disease. Because this is a single person, it is best read as a practical example rather than a predictor of what will happen for others. [3]

In this case, the patient had tuberous sclerosis complex-associated LAM and a small left upper lobe lung cancer, and surgeons used a hybrid robot-assisted approach aimed at reducing stress on fragile lung tissue. A small air leak was seen during surgery and repaired, and the patient left the hospital on post-operative day 5 without ongoing leakage. At around 1 year, breathing tests and imaging suggested lung function and overall lung volume were largely maintained. [3]

For patients, this report may matter most if LAM coexists with lung cancer or another condition that requires lung surgery. It adds an example of how surgeons attempted to manage air-leak risk in a person with LAM and reported a stable recovery over about 1 year. What remains uncertain is how well this experience applies to other people with LAM, since it is a single case and does not compare different surgical methods. [3]