Abstract
We encountered two cases of pulmonary eosinophilic granuloma incidentally diagnosed from surgical specimens which were obtained at the time of surgery for spontaneous pneumothorax. Case 1: The patient was a 54-year-old man complaining of dyspnea. He had smoked 20 cigarettes a day for 20 years and was being followed for a giant bulla. He was diagnosed with right pneumothorax. Following tube thoracostomy, VATS bullectomy was performed for prolonged air leakage. Case 2: The patient was a 23-year-old man complaining of dry cough. He had smoked 20 cigarettes a day for 5 years. He was diagnosed with right pneumothorax, which was improved conservatively. However, the recurrence of pneumothorax occurred after a month. Although a chest CT scan revealed no emphysematous lesions, VATS was performed for recurrence. An apical bleb was noted and resected. Both cases were diagnosed with pulmonary eosinophilic granuloma histopathologically. They quit smoking after surgery, and the progression of lung lesions and the recurrence of pneumothorax have not been noted. In surgery for pneumothorax, the smoking history and histological examination are very important to elucidate the etiology.
