1. The vanishing lung
- Author
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Palashkumar Jaiswal, Kathryn A Radigan, Radhika Jaiswal, Anupam Basu, Jayakumar Sreenivasan, and Aman Kugasia
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,Respiratory rate ,business.industry ,030208 emergency & critical care medicine ,Computed tomography ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,respiratory tract diseases ,Surgery ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Pneumothorax ,medicine ,Medical history ,Bulla (seal) ,Chest radiograph ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,DECREASED EXERCISE TOLERANCE ,Vanishing lung - Abstract
A 48-year-old woman with medical history significant for 20 pack-years of smoking presented with decreased exercise tolerance for the last year. On examination, her respiratory rate was 18 and oxygen saturation was 96% on room air with absent breath sounds within the left lung field. Alpha-1 antitrypsin levels were normal. Chest radiograph revealed giant emphysematous bulla with concern for concurrent pneumothorax (figure 1). CT scan of the chest revealed a massive bulla without a ‘double wall sign’ making superimposed pneumothorax unlikely (figure 2). Chest tube insertion was deferred and patient underwent bullectomy. Prior to surgery, her exercise tolerance …
- Published
- 2017
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