New pathological findings in emphysema of childhood: 3. Unilateral congenital emphysema with hypoplasia—and compensatory emphysema of contralateral lung

A quantitative study is here reported on the lungs of a child of 9 months with unilateral emphysema associated with hypoplasia, and with compensatory emphysema in the contralateral lung. The left lung was judged to show congenital hypoplasia because of the reduced number of bronchi and arteries, its small volume, and a total alveolar number less than that normally found at birth. This last was due mainly to reduction in the number of acini, the intra-acinar number seeming little affected. As the alveoli were eight times the normal volume, the case was considered to be one of congenital hypoplastic emphysema.