What happens if a bulla ruptures?

We know that bullae are caused by air accumulation in the lungs. If the bullae rupture, it will cause damage to the pulmonary interstitium. Therefore, if we have bullae and related symptoms, we must go to the hospital for treatment in time and complete the diagnosis and treatment of the disease under the doctor's advice and guidance. Do not blindly take various measures on your own. Also pay attention to respiratory health in daily life. So, what happens when a bulla ruptures?

1. Spontaneous pneumothorax: It is the most common complication in patients with bullous lungs. It is often caused by severe coughing, breath holding or exercise, which causes a sudden increase in lung pressure, leading to the rupture of bullae and the entry of lung gas into the pleural cavity. The patient's clinical manifestations are sudden chest pain, wheezing, cough and dyspnea. Physical examination shows tympanic sound on percussion of the affected chest, weakened or disappeared breath sounds on auscultation, and in severe cases, the trachea may be shifted to the healthy side. The severity of the patient's symptoms depends on the size of the pneumothorax and whether there is underlying lung disease.

The most common spontaneous pneumothorax in clinical practice is a spontaneous pneumothorax without previous underlying lung disease, called primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Most of the patients are tall and thin young men. The onset of the disease often has no obvious cause and manifests as sudden dyspnea, chest pain, etc. The vast majority of primary spontaneous pneumothorax are confirmed by surgery to be caused by rupture of pulmonary bullae or subpleural bullae.

2. Spontaneous hemopneumothorax: A small number of patients with bullous lungs may experience sudden spontaneous hemopneumothorax, which is generally caused by the tearing of the pleural adhesion band and the rupture of small blood vessels in the pleural cavity when pneumothorax occurs. In addition to the symptoms of pneumothorax, patients may also have symptoms of blood loss such as dizziness, palpitations, and pale complexion. Chest X-ray examination showed fluid-gas levels in the pleural cavity. Some patients present with progressive hemothorax, which is a serious condition requiring emergency treatment.

3. Secondary infection: When bullae are secondary infected, the bulla cavity is filled with inflammatory substances, which may cause the cavity to disappear or form a fluid-gas level. The patient experienced cough, sputum, chills and high fever, and the original symptoms of wheezing and shortness of breath worsened. Clinically, it needs to be differentiated from lung abscess or cavitary tuberculosis.