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Congenital lobar emphysema in an adult

Mir Sadaqat1, Javaid A Malik, Raiesa Karim

  • 1Departments of Internal Medicine, Chest Medicine, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, India.

Lung India : Official Organ of Indian Chest Society
|June 10, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) is a rare lung condition. This case report details a delayed diagnosis in a young male presenting with pneumothorax, highlighting the importance of imaging for accurate diagnosis.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Thoracic Imaging
  • Congenital Lung Abnormalities

Background:

  • Congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) typically presents in early infancy.
  • Delayed presentations of CLE, especially in older children, are uncommon.
  • Pneumothorax can be a presenting symptom of underlying lung malformations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a rare case of congenital lobar emphysema diagnosed later in childhood.
  • To illustrate the diagnostic utility of chest X-ray and CT in identifying CLE.
  • To discuss the conservative management approach for this condition.

Main Methods:

  • Case report of a young male with exertional breathlessness and right-sided pneumothorax.
  • Diagnostic workup included chest X-ray and CT scan.
  • Pulmonary function tests, bronchoscopy, and alpha-1-antitrypsin levels were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Imaging confirmed congenital lobar emphysema as the underlying cause of symptoms.
  • Pulmonary function tests, bronchoscopy, and alpha-1-antitrypsin levels were within normal limits.
  • The patient was successfully managed conservatively.

Conclusions:

  • Congenital lobar emphysema can present atypically with delayed symptoms and pneumothorax.
  • Radiological imaging is crucial for diagnosing congenital lobar emphysema.
  • Conservative management can be effective for selected cases of congenital lobar emphysema.

Keywords:
Adult maleCLEexertional breathlessness

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