Endobronchial valve placement in secondary pneumothorax related to allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis

Deepa Ramadurai; David M DiBardino; Gina Hong

doi:10.1016/j.rmcr.2021.101554

Endobronchial valve placement in secondary pneumothorax related to allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis

Respir Med Case Rep. 2021 Nov 10:34:101554. doi: 10.1016/j.rmcr.2021.101554. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Deepa Ramadurai¹, David M DiBardino², Gina Hong¹

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
² Section of Interventional Pulmonology and Thoracic Oncology, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Abstract

Secondary pneumothorax is a rare but serious complication of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and bronchiectasis [1,2]. Persistent air leak (PAL) after secondary pneumothorax is an ongoing abnormal communication between bronchi or alveoli and the pleural space, despite drainage. Ongoing PAL for 5 days after initial chest tube insertion necessitates prolonged ambulatory drainage or aggressive management with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or pleurodesis [3,4]. There are no randomized trials examining the efficacy of endobronchial valves (EBVs) for PAL with underlying inflammatory pulmonary disease. We describe the successful use of an EBV for PAL in a man with ABPA on high dose steroids, with a large bronchopleural fistula (BPF).

Keywords: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis; Bronchopleural fistula management; Persistent air leak management; Secondary pneumothorax management; Sendobronchial valve placement.

Publication types

Case Reports