title: Recurrent pneumothorax associated with bronchial atresia: report of a case.
abstract: We herein report a case of recurrent pneumothorax associated with congenital bronchial atresia. A 26-year-old male presented with chest pain. Chest roentgenograms showed left pneumothorax, a left apical bulla and an area of hyperlucency in the left upper lung field, and chest computed tomography revealed a discontinuation of the left superior bronchus. Additionally, both ventilation and perfusion scintigraphy showed a defect in the left superior segment. A thoracoscopy-assisted left superior segmentectomy was performed, and a pathological examination indicated left superior segmental bronchial atresia, which might have predisposed the peripheral lung to emphysematous conditions. No relapse was observed 6 months after the operation. Although this entity is rare, congenital bronchial atresia should be considered in the differential diagnosis when a patient has suffered from a recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan. kaztanaka-ths@umin.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuzo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tagawa
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Takekazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Teruaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizobuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigetoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan.
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yoshino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001980:Bronchi / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001995:Bronchography; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000209:etiology; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012008:Recurrence; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Congenital bronchial atresia; Recurrent pneumothorax; Surgery