Evidence That Lymphangiomyomatosis Is Caused by TSC2 Mutations: Chromosome 16p13 Loss of Heterozygosity in Angiomyolipomas and Lymph Nodes from Women with Lymphangiomyomatosis

Lymphangiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease, of unknown etiology, affecting women almost exclusively. Lung transplantation is the only consistently effective therapy for LAM. Microscopically, LAM consists of a diffuse proliferation of smooth muscle cells. LAM can occur without evidence of other disease (referred to as "sporadic LAM") or in association with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). TSC is an autosomal dominant tumor suppressor gene...