Introduction:
Congenital agenesis of the lungs are rare congenital
anomalies occurring with variable degree of
severity representing failure of development of the
primitive lung bud. They are categorized as
pulmonary agenesis, aplasia and hypoplasia with
distinct clinical implications. The thoracic imaging
appearance of pulmonary agenesis or aplasia
consists of complete opacification of one
hemithorax with severe volume loss evidenced by
extensive shift of the cardiomediastinal structures
toward the affected side. The complete absence of
lung tissue and a pulmonary artery on the affected
side confirms the diagnosis and may be best
appreciated on thoracic computed tomography.
This paper describes the case of a young patient
who had clinico-radiological evidence of severe
hemithoracic volume loss (gross mediastinal shift
and opaque hemithorax on chest radiograph) and
had been treated for possible collapsed left lung
due to foreign body for some time without relief.
CT examination confirmed absence of lung tissue
on this side in the presence of a rudimenta