Unilateral hyperlucent lung in childhood

Key words: Acute respiratory infection, Unilateral hyperlucent lung, Swyer-James-MacLeod syndrome

The paper describes the case of a 7-year-old female child with a history of chronic cough following an acute respiratory infection and unilateral hyperlucent lung on chest radiograph. The diagnosis was Swyer-James-MacLeod syndrome, based on characteristic findings on chest TC. Swyer-James-MacLeod syndrome is a post-infectious form of bronchiolitis obliterans that damages the lung during early childhood. Affected patients frequently have a history of recurrent pulmonary infection and present with nonspecific respiratory symptoms. The diagnosis is made with characteristic radiographic findings such as asymmetric hyperlucency of the lung or lobe, reduction of parenchimal vascularity and air-trapping of the affected parenchyma. The differential diagnosis often requires bronchoscopy and angio-TC or lung scintigraphy is necessary in some cases. The therapy is based on management of lung infections and bronchial obstruction. The prognosis is generally good.