Thorax: first published as 10.1136/thx.33.2.207 on 1 April 1978. Downloaded from Thorax, 1978, 33, 207-210 Unilateral pulmonary collapse in asthmatics J. A. C. HOPKIRK AND J. E. STARK From the Chest Department, Addenbrooke's and Papworth Hospitals, Cambridge Hopkirk, J. A. C., and Stark, J. E. (1978). Thorax, 33, 207-2 10. Unilateral pulmonary collapse in asthmatics. Five asthmatic patients developed collapse of one lung. Three of the patients were children and three of the five had repeated episodes of atelectasis. Episodes of atelectasis were usually associated with localised chest pain, which was not pleuritic in character, and with breathlessness, but without wheezing. They were not related to clinically apparent respiratory infections or to deterioration of the underlying asthma. The cause is obscure, but re-expansion seems to be hastened by oral corticosteroid therapy. Atelectasis is a well-recognised complication of lobe. Prick tests against common allergens includ- asthma. It is usually segmental or lobar and is ing Aspergillus fumigatus were negative, a sweat said to be more frequent in children than in adults test was normal, and serum precipitins were not (Clarke, 1930; Hughes and Reisman, 1969; Crofton detected against A. fumigatus. At bronchoscopy and Douglas, 1975). Lecks et al. (1966) reported the only abnormality seen was thick 'mucopus' in atelectasis in 39 out of 530 children treated in the left main bronchus. The aspirate contained no hospital for asthma. The middle lobe is most fre- excess of eosinophils, and no fungi or bacteria http://thorax.bmj.com/ quently involved (Dees and Spock, 1966; Wittig were isolated on culture. The radiograph became and Chang, 1967). Massive atelectasis involving normal after 10 days' treatment with physiotherapy more than one lobe (Brashear et al., 1973) is rare and inhaled bronchodilators. She remained free of (Aronsohn and Pressman, 1958; Rakower et al., symptoms, but a chest radiograph one month later 1955) and collapse of an entire lung has been unexpectedly showed collapse of the left lower reported very infrequently. lobe, although she had no respiratory symptoms at that time. It was decided to treat this episode Case reports with corticotrophin (40 units twice weekly) and the radiograph returned to normal in three days. on September 30, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. CASE 1 The dose of corticotrophin was slowly reduced, This girl had mild asthma from infancy until the but two months later, while still on a small dose age of 9 years but was then free of symptoms for of corticotrophin, she had another episode of three years. At the age of 12 she suddenly cough and chest pain with further collapse of the developed a fever, cough, and left-sided chest pain left lower lobe. The dose of corticotrophin was with no preceding wheeze or upper respiratory increased and the radiograph again returned to symptoms. Although she was breathless, no wheeze normal within three days. In the three years since was heard, and the signs were those of collapse of this episode she has regularly inhaled cortico- the left lung. The radiograph showed collapse of steroids and has had no further symptoms and no the left lung with a prominent air bronchogram. further recognised episodes of atelectasis. There was no excess of eosinophils in the peri- pheral blood, and haemolytic streptococci were CASE 2 grown from mucopurulent sputum. The radio- This girl, who had recurrent episodes of cough graph became normal after two weeks of treat- and wheeze from age 2 years, became wheezy at ment with penicillin and physiotherapy, and she the age of 6, and a radiograph showed collapse of remained symptom free for three months. the middle lobe. There was no history of inhalation She then developed wheeze and a cough, and a of a foreign body. Middle lobe collapse persisted radiograph showed collapse of the lingula. Three in spite of physiotherapy, and bronchoscopy four days later there was also collapse of the left lower months later showed thick 'mucopus' in the right 207 Thorax: first published as 10.1136/thx.33.2.207 on 1 April 1978. Downloaded from 208 J. A. C. Hopkirk and J. E. Stark main bronchus. The secretions were aspirated, mained virtually free of symptoms until the age of and a bronchogram showed normal filling of the 10. He then developed mild wheeze, persisting for middle lobe bronchus with no peripheral abnor- about 10 days, followed by sudden sharp left chest mality. The aspirate contained no excess of pain, breathlessness, and fever. A radiograph eosinophils and was sterile on culture. She was showed collapse of the left lung with a proximal seen again at the age of 8 with severe asthma, air bronchogram. There was no blood eosinophilia which was poorly controlled by inhaled broncho- and only one out of eight prick tests against com- dilators and cromoglycate and over the next two mon allergens was positive. A skin test against years required two courses of oral corticosteroids. A. fumigatus was negative and Aspergillus precipi- Serial radiographs were normal during this period. tins were not detected in the blood. At bronchos- At the age of 10 she suddenly developed fever, copy thick 'mucopus' was aspirated from the left breathlessness, and a sharp right-sided pain in the main bronchus. This contained no eosinophils or chest, which was not aggravated by respiratory visible fungal elements and was sterile on culture. movements. She said that these symptoms were He was treated with physiotherapy and broncho- quite unlike those of her previous asthma. A radio- dilators, and the left lung re-expanded within 10 graph showed collapse of the right lung. There was days. He has remained well since on regular no blood eosinophilia, prick tests against five cromoglycate and bronchodilator and has had common allergens, including A. fumigatus, were no recurrence of radiological abnormalities. negative, and Aspergillus precipitins were not de- tected in the blood. A sweat test was normal. She CASE 5 was treated with physiotherapy, bronchodilators, This young woman has had seven documented and antibiotics, and the lung re-expanded within episodes of atelectasis. She has had asthma since two weeks. Treatment was continued with regular childhood but there is no family history of atopic inhaled corticosteroids, and she has since been disease. At the age of 9 she developed left chest well for two years with normal spirometry and pain with collapse of the left lower lobe. It was radiograph. noted in the records that her asthma had not worsened before that admission. She was treated CASE 3 with physiotherapy and antibiotics, and threehttp://thorax.bmj.com/ This man had been wheezy as a child but became weeks later the lobe had re-expanded. At the age symptom-free in early adult life. At the age of of 19 her asthma deteriorated and she received 39 his asthma recurred but improved on regular regular oral corticosteroids at low dosage for two treatment with inhaled bronchodilators and years. She then suddenly developed left chest pain sodium cromoglycate. While on this treatment he and fever, and a radiograph showed collapse of had only occasional slight breathlessness until he the left lung with a proximal air bronchogram. developed sudden onset of shortness of breath with This episode had not been preceded by deteriora- fever and discomfort in the right chest. There had tion of asthma or by upper respiratory symptoms. been no upper respiratory symptoms and he had At bronchoscopy thick 'mucopus' was aspirated on September 30, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. had no wheezing or breathlessness for some from the left main bronchus; it contained no ex- months before this episode. A chest radiograph cess of eosinophils and was sterile on culture. The showed collapse of the right lung. There was no dose of corticosteroids was increased and the lung blood eosinophilia, prick tests produced 4 mm re-expanded within a few days, after which corti- weals to house dust, house dust mite, and grass costeroid therapy was stopped. pollen, but no reaction to A. fumigatus, and Asper- During the next two years she had three further gillus precipitins were not detected in the blood. episodes of collapse of the left lower lobe with no The sputum contained no eosinophils, and respiratory symptoms at other times. None of Haemophilus influenzae was isolated on culture. these episodes was associated with increased He improved slowly on treatment with oral ampi- wheezing, and on no occasion did she have a blood cillin, inhaled bronchodilators, and physiotherapy. eosinophilia. Bronchoscopy twice showed no The chest radiograph was normal by the 14th day. abnormality other than secretions in the left lower He has remained well since while regularly inhal- lobe bronchus. On each occasion the lobe re- ing corticosteroids and a bronchodilator. expanded during a course of oral corticosteroid therapy. A bronchogram and a cine-bronchogram CASE 4 during an asymptomatic period was normal. Prick After recurrent episodes of cough and wheeze tests were positive to 4 out of 18 common allergens since the age of 3 years, this boy started treatment but negative to A. fumigatus, and Aspergillus with sodium cromoglycate at the age of 7 and re- precipitins were not detected. Thorax: first published as 10.1136/thx.33.2.207 on 1 April 1978. Downloaded from Unilateral pulmonary collapse in asthmatics 209 Since the last of these episodes she has regularly most cases. Recurrent episodes of collapse affected inhaled corticosteroids and has remained free of either the same or different lobes, and the same symptoms between further episodes of atelectasis. patients sometimes developed atelectasis on dif- In the last year she has had episodes of collapse of ferent sides on different occasions.