Dyspnoea in a patient with unilateral lung agenesis

A 28-year-old woman presented with sudden onset dyspnoea, left-sided chest pain and dry cough for 3 days. She was a non-smoker. Her blood pressure was 90/60 mm Hg; respiratory rate, 20 breaths/min; finger pulse oximetry, 95% on 10 L/min; supplemental oxygen via non-rebreather mask and heart rate, 100 bpm. On chest auscultation, air entry was absent bilaterally. Initial chest X-ray showed ‘bilateral’ pneumothoraces, left more than right (figure 1). Tube thoracotomy was performed on the left pleural space, with complete resolution of left pneumothorax and partial resolution of right pneumothorax. Contrast-enhanced CT of chest revealed anterior …