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CASE REPORT
Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome: spontaneous pneumothorax as a first symptom
  1. Kirse Bock1,
  2. Zuzana Lohse2,
  3. Poul Henning Madsen1,
  4. Ole Hilberg1
  1. 1Department of Medicine, Vejle Hospital, Vejle, Denmark
  2. 2Department of Clinical Genetics, Vejle Hospital, Vejle, Denmark
  1. Correspondence to Dr Kirse Bock, kirsebock{at}yahoo.dk

Summary

Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHDS) is a rare hereditary autosomal dominant condition characterised by benign cutaneous lesions, lung cysts, increased risk of spontaneous pneumothorax and renal cancer. It shows great heterogenous presentation within and between affected families. We report a case of a Danish female patient with recurrent pneumothoraces as the first symptom of BHDS. Over the years, she developed skin changes, and a family history of skin changes, pneumothoraces and renal cancer was discovered. BHDS was suspected, a genetic analysis was performed and a pathogenic variation c.1285delC in FLCN gene was detected in the patient. As we stated the diagnosis BHDS, we discovered several undiagnosed family members all of them now entering a lifelong follow-up programme with abdominal imaging because of the increased risk of developing renal cancer. BHDS should be known to oncologists, dermatologists and pulmonologists as the patients most often present to these medical disciplines.

  • genetic screening / counselling
  • screening (oncology)
  • interstitial lung disease

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Footnotes

  • KB, ZL, PHM and OH contributed equally.

  • Contributors All authors have participated in planning, writing, commenting and editing the article and have approved the final draft of the article.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient consent Obtained.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.