A rare, fatal lung disease that affects women in their childbearing years. In LAM, abnormal smooth muscle-like cells proliferate in the lungs, pulmonary airway, parenchyma, lymphatics, and blood vessels, ultimately leading to respiratory failure.

a rare lung disease that affects only women; abnormal muscle cells invade the lung and airways, as well as blood and lymph vessels, causing them to become obstructed.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis is a degenerative disease of the lungs that involves the proliferation of the LAM cell within the lung. As the name suggests, lymphangioleiomyomatosis is caused by the excessive growth (matosis) of abnormal smooth muscle-like cells (leiomyo), also called LAM cells, around the bronchial tubes, blood vessels (angio), and lymphatic vessels (lymph) of the lung. LAM is a progressive lung disease that affects primarily women and occurs much more frequently in people with TSC than in the general population.