ROUNDED ATELECTASIS OF THE LUNG, JUST A BENIGN DISORDER

Three patients with rounded atelectases are described. One of them dev eloped a malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma 6 months after presentation wi th rounded atelectasis. His rounded atelectasis could be followed duri ng 20 months and was unrelated to the appearance, complete remission a fter chemotherapy and relapse of a malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Rou nded atelectasis of the lung is a little-known form of peripheral pulm onary collapse which may mimic a neoplastic tumour. It might be formed either because of a folding in a basal lung segment caused by tempora rily pleural effusion, or because of initial damage to the pleura whic h leads to fibrosis and thus to collapse of the neighbouring lung segm ent. Although the differential diagnosis of a pulmonary opacity remain s a challenge to the clinician, it should be emphasized that the benig n nature of rounded atelectasis should be recognized by radiological t echniques.