Lymphangioleiomyomatosis | Conditions & Treatments

What is LAM?

LAM (Lymphangioleiomyomatosis) is a rare condition involving the development of cysts in the lungs, typically in women of child-bearing age.

Symptoms of LAM

Symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, and lung collapse (pneumothorax). Typical onset is in early adulthood, but diagnosis is often delayed.

UR Medicine's Treatments for Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)

UR Medicine runs the LAM Clinic, located in the Mary Parkes Center for Asthma, Allergy, and Pulmonary Care. This clinic is dedicated to diagnosing and treating this complicated condition. We determine an individualized management approach involving optimization of lung function, ongoing evaluation for progression of disease, initiation and guidance of medical therapy, and potential collaboration with expert centers in lung transplantation.

The University of Rochester offers a multidisciplinary approach, with experts in pulmonology, nephrology, and endocrinology dedicated to managing this disease in a collaborative model. Our radiologists, pathologists, and thoracic surgeons provide critical input on diagnosis and treatment. Our team of physicians participate in national and international research efforts to better understand and treat this complicated disease.

What Sets Us Apart?

The UR Medicine LAM Clinic is the only one of its kind in western New York. Our clinic collaborates with the national network of centers specializing in LAM.

The University of Rochester participates in basic and translational research dedicated toward developing new treatments for LAM. This research program is led by Stephen Hammes, M.D., Ph.D., who serves as the Chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism as well as the Executive Vice Chair for the Department of Medicine. Studies focus on using mouse models to identify novel LAM biomarkers and to better understand how physicians can target the immune system to control LAM progression.