Spontaneous feline pneumothorax caused by ruptured pulmonary bullae associated with possible bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Abstract

Spontaneous pneumothorax is rarely reported in the cat. This case report describes the use of computed tomography (CT) to diagnose pulmonary bullae in an adult cat with recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax. A large bulla in the right middle lung lobe and several blebs in other lobes were identified by CT. Partial lobectomy of the right middle and right and left cranial lung lobes was successfully performed to remove the affected portions of lung. Histopathological examination suggested bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) as the underlying cause for development of the pulmonary bulla. This is the first case report in the veterinary literature describing the use of CT to identify pulmonary bullae in the cat with BPD as a possible underlying cause.