Congenital Lobar Emphysema: Gross Appearances of the Lung

An unusual severe and prolonged respiratory ailment following a common viral infection in a young infant of 6 weeks prompted us for a chest computed tomography that detected a right upper zone congenital lobar emphysema. The infant underwent a lobectomy (Fig. 1 and supplementary figure) and was discharged soon from the intensive care unit. Compared to the healthy lungs, the affected emphysematous lobe has minimal gross appearance of damage. This led to a surgical dilemma arising in this young infant, when the clarity between the emphysematous and healthy pulmonary lobes was less clear.