Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases

The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (대한결핵및호흡기학회)
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A Case of Bilateral Giant Bullae in Young Adult

  • Park, Ju-Hee (Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Lung Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Junghyun (Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Lung Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Jung-Kyu (Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Lung Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Soo Jung (Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Lung Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Ae-Ra (Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Lung Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Moon, Hyeon Jong (Department of Thoracic Surgery, Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Deog Kyeom (Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine)
  • Received : 2013.07.20
  • Accepted : 2013.08.26
  • Published : 2013.11.30
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Abstract

Giant bullae are large bullae occupying at least one-third of the hemithorax and surgical bullectomy is the treatment of choice. We report a case with symptomatic giant bullae which were resected successfully. A 35-year-old man presented with bilateral giant bullae that occupied almost the entire left hemithorax and a third of the right hemithorax. He was a current smoker with a 30 pack-year history and he presented with dyspnea on exertion. An elective surgical bullectomy was performed with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The patient recovered without any adverse events and stayed well for 1 month after surgery.

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References

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