Congenital lobar emphysema is a rare pulmonary malformation typically diagnosed during infancy and is characterized by bullous disease. A 28-year-old woman, who presented with 1 week of progressive dyspnea and chest pain, was found to have left hemithoracic lung hyperinflation with perfusion deficit upon radiographic evaluation. Bullous disease was found intraoperatively to originate from 1 lower lobe segment. Normal parenchymal lung expansion occurred following resection of the affected segment. Therefore, we present a rare case of congenital lobar emphysema resulting in near-complete occupancy of the left hemithorax and diagnosed in a previously asymptomatic adult without history of predisposing factors.
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