Pneumatocele after Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in an Adult Patient: A Case Report

Pulmonary pneumatocele is a cystic, air-filled lesion in the lung parenchyma. It results from underlying inflammation or bronchial injury. It is seen in several lung pathologies including bacterial pneumonia, positive-pressure ventilation, chest trauma, chemical pneumonitis, and is most often seen in infants and children. On imaging, pneumatoceles appear as rounded, thin-walled, air-filled spaces in the lung parenchyma. The exact mechanism for forming pneumatoceles is not fully understood but thought to be due to a check-valve mechanism due to obstruction by inflammation causing air trapping in the damaged lung. These lesions are asymptomatic and transient in most patients and disappear by about 6 weeks. They usually do not require any specific treatment or intervention. Surgical intervention is only necessary when pneumatoceles cause cardiopulmonary compromise or rupture into the pleural space. We describe a case of a young adult who developed a pneumatocele after developing acute respiratory distress syndrome from community-acquired pneumonia treated with positive-pressure ventilation. He was managed conservatively with complete resolution of symptoms.