Diffuse persistent pulmonary interstitial emphysema secondary to mechanical ventilation in bronchiolitis.
Persistent interstitial pulmonary emphysema (PIE) is a rare disease and it is even more uncommon in full-term infants, like our patient. When conservative management is not successful, surgical treatment should be considered. In our case, ECMO support was iniciated to keep the patient ventilated in order to allow the lung to heal using lung protection strategies.



We report an 18-day-old male infant with bronchiolitis that required mechanical ventilation with high positive airway pressures due to severe respiratory insufficiency. Chest X-rays and computed tomography scan revealed a severely hyperinflated left lung with extensive destructive changes and multiple small bullae. These findings were consistent with diffuse persistent interstitial emphysema (PIE), probably due to mechanical ventilation. The patient required high frequency oscillatory ventilation, inotropic support and continuous renal replacement therapy. He eventually suffered a cardiac arrest that required cardiopulmonary resuscitation and ECMO during 5 days with progressive clinical improvement and normalization of the X-ray.



We present a patient with diffuse persistent interstitial emphysema who, despite an unfavorable evolution with different mechanical ventilation strategies, had a good response after ECMO assistance.
Pediatric Intensive Care Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Red de Investigación en Salud Materno-Infantil y del Desarrollo (Red SAMYD), C/ Doctor Castelo 47, 28009, Madrid, Spain. blankmajal@hotmail.com.|Pediatric Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, C/ Doctor Castelo 47, 28009, Madrid, Spain. blankmajal@hotmail.com.
Blanca
B
Toledo Del Castillo
Radiology Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, C/ Doctor Castelo 47, 28009, Madrid, Spain.
Isabel
I
Gordillo
Pediatric Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, C/ Doctor Castelo 47, 28009, Madrid, Spain.
Elena
E
Rubio García
Pediatric Intensive Care Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Red de Investigación en Salud Materno-Infantil y del Desarrollo (Red SAMYD), C/ Doctor Castelo 47, 28009, Madrid, Spain.
Sarah Nicole
SN
Fernández Lafever
Pediatric Intensive Care Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Red de Investigación en Salud Materno-Infantil y del Desarrollo (Red SAMYD), C/ Doctor Castelo 47, 28009, Madrid, Spain.
Rafael
R
Gonzalez Cortés
Pediatric Intensive Care Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Red de Investigación en Salud Materno-Infantil y del Desarrollo (Red SAMYD), C/ Doctor Castelo 47, 28009, Madrid, Spain.
Javier
J
Urbano Villaescusa
Pediatric Intensive Care Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Red de Investigación en Salud Materno-Infantil y del Desarrollo (Red SAMYD), C/ Doctor Castelo 47, 28009, Madrid, Spain.
Jorge
J
López González
Pediatric Intensive Care Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Red de Investigación en Salud Materno-Infantil y del Desarrollo (Red SAMYD), C/ Doctor Castelo 47, 28009, Madrid, Spain.
María José
MJ
Solana García
Pediatric Intensive Care Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Red de Investigación en Salud Materno-Infantil y del Desarrollo (Red SAMYD), C/ Doctor Castelo 47, 28009, Madrid, Spain.
Jesús
J
López-Herce Cid
D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000150:complications*; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Diffuse persistent interstitial emphysema; ECMO; Mechanical ventilation; Neonatal