Case Report

Volume: 6 | Issue: 9 | Published: Dec 29, 2022 | Pages: 173 - 176 | DOI: 10.24911/ejmcr/73-1660231671

The space between: pneumothorax or bulla


Authors: Lydiya Thomas orcid logo , Ratna Alluri , Mahendran Chetty , Mohammed Khalil


Article Info

Authors

Lydiya Thomas

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill Road, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB25 2ZN, United Kingdom

orcid logo ORCID

Ratna Alluri

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill Road, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB25 2ZN, United Kingdom

Mahendran Chetty

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill Road, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB25 2ZN, United Kingdom

Mohammed Khalil

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill Road, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB25 2ZN, United Kingdom.

Publication History

Received: August 11, 2022

Revised: December 07, 2022

Accepted: December 07, 2022

Published: December 29, 2022


Abstract


Background: Distinguishing between a bulla and pneumothorax can sometimes be difficult especially in the absence of preexisting lung disease, leading to inappropriate intervention. Case Presentation: We report the case of a well 32-year-old male who presented with a year's history of insidious onset breathlessness. A routine chest radiograph was thought to show a large pneumothorax. He had chest drains placed with no radiological improvement. A video-assisted thoracic surgery procedure revealed a giant bulla. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of correlating clinical assessment with radiological findings. Early Computerised Tomography (CT) imaging should be considered prior to pleural intervention in clinically stable patients.

Keywords: Pneumothorax, bulla, chest drain, chest X-Ray, vanishing lung syndrome, green


Pubmed Style

Lydiya Thomas, Ratna Alluri, Mahendran Chetty, Mohammed Khalil. The space between: pneumothorax or bulla. EJMCR. 2022; 29 (December 2022): 173-176. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/73-1660231671

Web Style

Lydiya Thomas, Ratna Alluri, Mahendran Chetty, Mohammed Khalil. The space between: pneumothorax or bulla. https://ejmcr.com/articles/1109 [Access: December 25, 2024]. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/73-1660231671

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Lydiya Thomas, Ratna Alluri, Mahendran Chetty, Mohammed Khalil. The space between: pneumothorax or bulla. EJMCR. 2022; 29 (December 2022): 173-176. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/73-1660231671

Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Lydiya Thomas, Ratna Alluri, Mahendran Chetty, Mohammed Khalil. The space between: pneumothorax or bulla. EJMCR. (2022), [cited December 25, 2024]; 29 (December 2022): 173-176. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/73-1660231671

Harvard Style

Lydiya Thomas, Ratna Alluri, Mahendran Chetty, Mohammed Khalil (2022) The space between: pneumothorax or bulla. EJMCR, 29 (December 2022): 173-176. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/73-1660231671

Chicago Style

Lydiya Thomas, Ratna Alluri, Mahendran Chetty, Mohammed Khalil. "The space between: pneumothorax or bulla." 29 (2022), 173-176. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/73-1660231671

MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Lydiya Thomas, Ratna Alluri, Mahendran Chetty, Mohammed Khalil. "The space between: pneumothorax or bulla." 29.December 2022 (2022), 173-176. Print. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/73-1660231671

APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Lydiya Thomas, Ratna Alluri, Mahendran Chetty, Mohammed Khalil (2022) The space between: pneumothorax or bulla. , 29 (December 2022), 173-176. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/73-1660231671