TRIAD OF PNEUMONIA, PNEUMATOCELE, AND SPONTANEOUS PNEUMOTHORAX IN INFANTS

Intrathoracic collections of air have been of particular interest to the pediatrician because of the serious clinical picture often presented by infants and children with this condition. The dyspnea, cyanosis, and frequently critical state of these patients has led to a voluminous literature describing such cases. The purpose of this paper is to describe the concurrent association of pneumonia, pneumatocele, and spontaneous pneumothorax in three infants. This triad was first described in 1947 in the British literature. This is the second report of this condition.REPORT OF CASESCase 1.—A 6-week-old white girl was admitted to the Jewish Memorial Hospital on Feb. 24, 1952. She had been in good health and was gaining weight. Two days before admission, loss of appetite was noted and respiratory distress began. On admission, she was found to have a right pneumothorax, with 40% collapse and displacement of the heart to the left side. Inflammatory