Hemitórax opaco / Opaque hemithorax

Se presenta un paciente adulto de 58 años de edad, quien acudió a consulta por síntomas inespecíficos, relacionados con infección respiratoria, remitido desde el área de salud con una radiografía de tórax representativa de un hemitórax opaco que fue interpretada como neumonía lobar. Se realizaron diversas técnicas de imagen que incluyeron tomografía axial computarizada, angiografía pulmonar y angiotomografía que permitieron efectuar el diagnóstico diferencial de hemitórax opaco y definitivo de hipoplasia pulmonar, así como descartar anomalías asociadas. Los estudios imagenológicos permiten realizar el diagnóstico diferencial de hemitórax opaco y definitivo de hipoplasia pulmonar, así como las anomalías vasculares anexas, lo que posibilita tomar conducta y seguimiento médico adecuados.

A male 58-year-old patient presents with non-specific symptoms related to respiratory infection. The patient had been referred from his health area with a chest radiograph showing an opaque hemithorax which was interpreted as lobar pneumonia. Various imaging techniques were performed, including computerized axial tomography, pulmonary angiography and angiotomography, allowing to make the differential diagnosis of opaque hemithorax and the definitive diagnosis of pulmonary hypoplasia, and rule out associated anomalies. Imaging studies make it possible to make a differential diagnosis of opaque hemithorax and a definitive diagnosis of pulmonary hypoplasia, as well as related vascular anomalies, allowing the application of adequate clinical management and follow-up.

Unilateral lung hypoplasia: A rare cause of unilateral opaque hemithorax in chest X-ray in a young boy.

Congenital abnormalities of lung are very rare entity, and very often under or misdiagnosed by physicians. The present case, a 12-year boy, who was initially diagnosed as unilateral massive pleural effusion with collapse of lung, and after thorough investigation, including CT scan of thorax, fiber-optic bronchoscopy, and echocardiography, a final diagnosis of unilateral lung hypoplasia was made. So if a teenager present with a unilateral opaque hemithorax in chest X-ray, this entity may be a differential diagnosis.