title: Giant bullous emphysema in the right middle lobe.
abstract: Giant bullous emphysema, or vanishing lung syndrome, typically occurs in young, thin male smokers with large bullae in one or more upper lobes occupying at least one-third of the hemithorax. We present here a rare case of giant bullous emphysema in a mid-age nonsmoking female who was seen for progressive shortness of breath and cough. Chest computed tomography found a giant bulla in the middle lobe of right lung. The patient underwent successful thoracoscopic bullectomy and is currently without residual symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Wenli
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yunqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mei
keywords: Giant bullous emphysema; bullectomy; pneumothorax; vanishing lung syndrome