BILATERAL ATELECTASIS (MASSIVE COLLAPSE) OF LUNG

Massive collapse of the lung

Massive asthmatic atelectasis.

Atelectasis as a complication of bronchial asthma occurs more commonly than is diagnosed or suspected. It is usually of the lobular type and patchy in distribution. This type was first described by Huber and Koesler in 1920.’ Many authors have suggested that status asthmaticus and even death occurring during an attack of asthma are related to lobular atelectasis.2’ Massive atelectasis, on the o...

Rounded atelectasis of the lung.

Rounded atelectasis of the lung (RA) is a lesion well described in the medical literature, yet often very difficult to diagnose. In recent years, the widespread use of high-resolution imaging modalities employed in the struggle against cancer, coinciding with the peak of the asbestos epidemic, have boosted the detection frequency of RA. However, its differential diagnosis still poses a challeng...

Massive atelectasis due to fibrinous bronchitis.

Of all bronchial diseases, fibrinous, plastic, pseudo-membranous or Hoffmann's bronchitis seems to be one of the rarest. It has been estimated that up to 1869 about 130 cases had been reported (Walker, 1920); between 1869 and 1902 Bettmann (1902) collected 50, and between 1902 and 1920 a further 31 were reported (Walker, 1920). From 1920 to 1950 I have collected 25 new ones and these would brin...

Experimental massive pulmonary collapse.

Interest in atelectasis has in recent years been revived by the increased recognition of its frequency. It has been demonstrated that complete obstruction of the air passage supplying a unit of the lung which does not also communicate with another air passage will produce atelectasis.'3 It has been shown4 that this is due to absorption by the body fluids of the gases contained in that part of t...