title: VATS bullectomy and apical pleurectomy for spontaneous pneumothorax in a young patient with Swyer-James-Mc Leod syndrome: case report presentation and literature review focusing on surgically treated cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Swyer-James-McLeod Syndrome (SJMS) is an uncommon, emphysematous disease characterized by radiologic hyperlucency of pulmonary parenchyma due to loss of the pulmonary vascular structure and to alveolar overdistension.
  
  
  METHODS
  We herein describe a 15-year-old Caucasian patient with well-established SJMS since childhood who presented with spontaneous pneumothorax. Video-assisted thoracoscopic bullectomy with apical pleurectomy was performed. Since SJMS is considered an on-going inflammatory process, the patient one year after surgery exhibits excellent quality of life with no pneumothorax recurrence.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Panagopoulos
authors.forename: Gerasimos
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papavasileiou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 31 Chlois Str, 16673 Voula, Athens, Greece. ekoletsis@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koletsis
authors.forename: Myrto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kastanaki
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Anastasiou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000792:Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019568:Lung, Hyperlucent / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed