Tension pneumothorax mimicking giant bullae associated with tuberculosis: a case report

Abstract

Cough, dyspnea, and chest pain are some of the clinical signs of giant bullae, while in some cases it may be asymptomatic. A pneumothorax can be difficult to identify from giant bullae. A middle-aged patient who had a persistent cough and increasing dyspnea with exertion arrived to the emergency room (ED). A right tension pneumothorax was anticipated based on clinical examination findings, however chest radiography, followed by a contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) scan of the chest showed that the right and left hemithorax were both occupied with giant bullae. Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) was diagnosed with sputum for acid-fast bacilli analysis and cartridge based nucleic acid amplification testing (CBNAAT). He was started on antituberculous therapy (ATT) and bullectomy was scheduled for TB-related giant pulmonary bullae.