Abstract

MAMAT, Tengku A. Raja; SAYUTI, Khairil A.; NADARAJAN, Chandran  and  ZAIN, Mohd R. Mohd. Unilateral opaque chest radiograph in paediatrics: A case series. S. Afr. J. radiol. (Online) [online]. 2021, vol.25, n.1, pp.1-5. ISSN 2078-6778.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajr.v25i1.2164.

Pulmonary underdevelopment is a rare congenital disease which manifests as persistent hemithorax opacification at chest radiography. We present three patients with different types of pulmonary underdevelopment, their imaging features and associated anomalies. Case 1 is a premature neonate with persistent respiratory distress. Further imaging confirmed right pulmonary hypoplasia, associated with a patent foramen ovale, patent ductus arteriosus and vertebral anomalies. Case 2 is a 6-year-old child with corrected anorectal malformation, and recurrent pneumonia. Further imaging confirmed left pulmonary aplasia, associated with an aberrant right subclavian artery and vertebral anomaly. Case 3 is a full term neonate who developed excessive drooling of saliva and respiratory distress. Further imaging confirmed right pulmonary agenesis, associated with an atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus and tracheo-oesophageal fistula. Pulmonary underdevelopment is classified into three types: hypoplasia, aplasia and agenesis. The majority of them have associated anomalies. This condition should be considered a differential diagnosis in paediatric patients with an opaque hemithorax on chest radiography.

Keywords : pulmonary underdevelopment; pulmonary agenesis; pulmonary aplasia; pulmonary hypoplasia; congenital disease.

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