Vanishing Lung Syndrome: A Rare Entity

Year 2015, Volume: 22 Issue: 4, 261 - 263, 15.12.2015

Muhammet Reha Çelik , Hakkı Ulutaş Akın Kuzucu

Abstract

Vanishing lung syndrome is characterised by giant bullae that compress the underlying lung. Differentiating between bullous emphysema and pneumothorax and choosing the right treatment modality can be challenging. The present report describes a case of a giant pulmonary bulla in a young male patient. A 20-year-old male was admitted with complaints of shortness of breath, chest pain, sweating, and tachycardia. Chest X-ray and chest CT images revealed the presence of giant bullae occupying the left hemithorax and pneumothorax. A chest tube was inserted percutaneously under local anesthesia into the pleural cavity and then we performed bullectomy using thoracoscopic surgery. Residual lung re-expansion yielded good postoperative results without complications. It can be very difficult to distinguish a pneumothorax from a giant bulla and preoperative assessment of the extent and distribution of the bullae is vital for the following procedures.

Keyword: Giant Bulla; Pulmonary Emphysema; Pneumothorax.

Keywords

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Journal of Turgut Ozal Medical Center

Abstract

Vanishing lung sendrom nadir görülen ve dev bül veya büllerin akciğerin büyük oranda kollapsına neden olduğu bir antitedir. Bu çalışmada solunum sıkıntısı, terleme, çarpıntı şikayeti ile acil servise başvuran 20 yaşında, radyografik olarak sağ hemitoraksın tümünü kaplayan dev bül ve çevresinde pnömotoraks saptanan bir erkek hasta sunuldu. Hastaya tüp torakostomi uygulandı ve daha sonra torakoskopik cerrahi ile bül eksizyonu yapıldı. Postoperatif dönemde komplikasyon gelişmedi. Akciğer ekspanse olan olgu postop 6. günü şifa ile externe edildi. Vanishing lung sendromunda en önemli sıkıntı bül, pnömotoraks ayrımının yapılmasında ve altta yatan akciğer parankiminin ne derece sağlıklı olduğunun değerlendirilmesinde yaşanılan zorluktur. Uygun vakalarda bül eksizyonu ile kollabe akciğerin ekspanse olur ve tam bir klinik düzelme sağlanır

Keywords

Dev Bül, Pulmoner Amfizem, Pnömotoraks

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