A remarkable outcome after video-assisted thoracoscopic resection of a giant bulla

摘要

A 56-year-old woman visited our hospital for mild exertional dyspnea. Radiological investigations revealed a giant bulla of the left lung that was treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic bullectomy. The result of treatment was a better stamina, and, more strikingly, a major change of voice.A unilateral hyperlucent lung on a chest X-ray can be due to a (tension) pneumothorax or a giant bulla [1]. Thoracoscopy has been used for establishing a definitive diagnosis when it is difficult to differentiate between both diagnoses [2]. In the past, different surgical techniques have been described for the treatment of giant bullae [3,4], and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has become more and more an accepted procedure for the treatment of giant bullae and spontaneous pneumothorax world-wide [5-7]. We describe a case in which bullectomy of a giant bulla with VATS was performed with an unexpected and remarkable outcome for both patient and surgeon.