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friendly version   Other Names for this Disease   • LAM   •
Lymphangio-myomatosis   What is lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)?
How is lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) treated?  What is
lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)?  Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (lim-
FAN-je-o-LI-o-MI-o-ma-TO-sis), or LAM, is a rare lung disease
that mostly affects women in their mid-forties. In LAM, an
unusual type of cell begins to grow out of control throughout
the body, including in the lungs, lymph nodes and vessels, and
kidneys. Over time, these LAM cells form cysts and clusters of
cells, which grow throughout the lungs and slowly block the
airways. They also destroy the normal lung tissue and replace it
with cysts. As a result, air cannot move freely in and out of
the lungs, and the lungs cannot supply enough oxygen to the
body’s other organs.[1]  More than 1 out of every 3 people with
LAM also develops growths called angiomyolipomas, or AMLs, in
their kidneys. People with LAM also