[Surgical therapy of interstitial pulmonary emphysema in a premature infant]

Pulmonary interstitial emphysema is a frequent complication in the use of respirators in newborn infants suffering from respiratory insufficiency. If it is diffuse and bilateral, treatment often is without success; occasionally, interstitial emphysema may be localized in a lobe, in which case it may persist and lead to therapeutic difficulties. We report a successful surgical approach to a unilateral pulmonary interstitial emphysema in a premature infant.