Spontaneous, sub-acute right lung torsion: a case report

TL;DR

A rare case of spontaneous lung torsion in a patient with symptoms like cough and hemoptysis was successfully treated with surgery.

Contribution

This paper presents a rare sub-acute, spontaneous lung volvulus case not linked to trauma or surgery.

Findings

Computed tomography confirmed a complete right lung volvulus with non-perfusion of upper and middle lobes.

The patient was successfully treated with volvulus reduction and bi-lobectomy.

Spontaneous sub-acute lung torsion is a rare condition that can be managed with simple surgical intervention.

Abstract

Lung volvulus is a rare occurrence and is most commonly seen after thoracic surgery or trauma. They are generally associated with a long, thin hilum, with no parenchymal bridge between the lobes. In non-postoperative situations, pleural effusion or pneumothorax would appear to be mandatory. Spontaneous volvuli are not described, especially sub-acutely. We report the case of a patient with an apparently spontaneous lung volvulus. He presented with long prodromal symptoms of haemoptysis and increasing cough. The computed tomography scan showed a complete volvulus of the right lung with signs of non-perfusion of the upper and middle lobes. The patient was successfully treated with volvulus reduction and bi-lobectomy. Torsion is classically known to thoracic surgeons, but is rarely encountered by other specialists. We describe here a sub-acute lung volvulus, apparently spontaneous, easily treated by a simple surgical procedure.

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