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eComment: Swyer–James–MacLeod syndrome: addendum to the clinicalappearance

Schillerhöhe Hospital, Solitudestrasse 18, 70839 Gerlingen, Germany

Swyer–James–MacLeod syndrome; repeated chest drainages in apatient misdiagnosed with pneumothorax

With great interest we read the recent case study of Sulaiman and colleagues on the Swyer–James–MacLeod syndrome [1]. The authors presented a comprehensive review of this rare clinical picture. Our institute's surgical experience with this disease has been similar to that of the authors; however, we have one addendum to make to complete the report.

The authors shed light on the radiological and clinical findings going along with secondary obliteration of the pulmonary capillary bed and the disappearance of blood flow in the major pulmonary artery segments, resulting in the hypoplastic arterial development observed. Besides the described pathological perfusion changes in the diseased lung sections, their occasionally bizarre hyperinflation results in a compression of healthy lung areas, ultimately causing their atelectases. In one case, a middle lobe Swyer–James–MacLeod syndrome caused complete chronic atelectasis of the healthy right upper lobe. The patient's afflictions and medical condition are deteriorated accordingly. Radiologists and thoracic surgeons alike may be misguided by computed tomography scans of these patients, feigning two non-coherent pathologies.

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1. Sulaiman A, Cavaille A, Vaunois B, Tiffet O. Swyer–James–MacLeod syndrome; repeated chest drainages in a patient misdiagnosed withpneumothorax. Interact CardioVasc Thorac Surg 2009;8:482–484.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Godehard Friedel Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Walles, T. Articles by Friedel, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Walles, T. Articles by Friedel, G. Related Collections Related Article