Description
The left lung has been cut in the sagittal plane. The pleural surface shows ragged fibrosis. The cut
surface shows minimal lung tissue and gross saccular and cylindrical bronchiectasis. There is a
large cavity at the apex.
History
At the age of 3 this Samoan child had a respiratory illness which was possibly tuberculous
and subsequently he had a number of admissions to hospital with pneumonia. There was no family
history of tuberculosis, the Mantoux test was negative and no tubercule bacilli were isolated. By
the age of 15 he looked well but apparently had poor exercise capacity. He had a chronic cough
and produced purulent sputum. Because of his lung disability he had not attended school. A
pneumonectomy was performed; his subsequent progress was good. Hilar lymph nodes examined
at the time of the pneumonectomy showed no evidence of tuberculosis.