Abstract
Bullous Lung Disease in Young IV Drug Abuser: A Case Report
Highlights
Substance abuse is one of the major concerns in the world today as millions of people are abusing legal and illegal drugs for recreational purposes
Occasional reports have documented radiological, physiological, and pathological evidence of emphysema with or without bullae formation in intravenous drug abusers mostly in drug abusers injecting medications intended for oral use and have occurred in association with intravenous talcosis [3]
Giant bullous emphysema (GBE) is first described by Roberts et al as bullae radiologically occupying more than 30% of one or both hemithorax without compressing the surrounding lung parenchyma [5]
Summary
Substance abuse is one of the major concerns in the world today as millions of people are abusing legal and illegal drugs for recreational purposes. Bullous emphysema (BE) can be caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to tobacco smoke, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency [7], and rarely, due to illicit substance use. We present a case of a young male intravenous heroin abuser who presented in our hospital with a complaint of chest pain and dyspnea found to have bilateral upper lobe bullae and right sided hydropneumothorax. X-ray chest (Figure 1) showed rightsided hydropneumothorax, left-sided large hyperluscent area. Post intubation x-ray (Figure 2) showed right sided hydropneumothorax, with chest tube in situ, communicating with bullae on the right upper and middle zone. Lung Parenchyma is distorted with the formation of large bullae in both upper lobes largest of 13x12x10cm on the right side and 12x10x7 cm left upper lobe. The patient was diagnosed as a case of bullous lung disease due to IV drug abuse and pyopneumothorax.
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