Pulmonary bullae

Focal, thin-walled, air-filled cavities within the lung parenchyma, usually >1 cm in diameter, resulting from destruction of alveolar walls, localized loss of gas-exchange surface, and possible compression of adjacent lung tissue.

Causes

• Smoking: Cigarette, cannabis, crack cocaine smoking

• Genetic and connective tissue disorders

  • α1-antitrypsin deficiency

  • Marfan syndrome

  • Ehlers–Danlos syndrome

• Inflammatory and autoimmune causes

  • Sarcoidosis

  • Sjögren's disease

• Infectious and immunodeficiency-related causes

  • HIV/AIDS

  • Severe pneumonia

  • Post-infectious lung destruction

• Chronic inflammatory emphysematous lung disease