Two young adults presenting with breathlessness and recurrent chest infection: a major miss!!!

Abstract

Dyspnea is of multi-factorial etiology, and in young adults, obstructive airway disease is the commonest cause. We are reporting two cases of young adults who presented with breathlessness and recurrent episodes of respiratory tract infections since childhood associated with poor physical development. They were referred to our hospital for an evaluation of suspected lung collapse. The evaluation revealed it to be an unusual case of right lung hypoplasia presenting in the second decade, and which was not associated with any other systemic anomaly in the first case, while the second case was diagnosed as a case of left pulmonary aplasia with right tracheal bronchus and double SVC drainage. The treating physicians should have a high clinical suspicion about developmental pulmonary disorders while treating young patients with recurrent episodes of pneumonia.