Demonstration of communication between alveolus and interstitium in persistent interstitial pulmonary emphysema: Case report

Persistent interstitial pulmonary emphysema (PIPE) is an uncommon complicat ion of premature infants suffering from hyaline membrane disease who have b een treated with mechanical ventilation. The presumed mechanism for the dev elopment of the disease is via a break in the bronchioalveolar system that allows air to escape into the interstitium. We report a case of a 9-week-ol d child who developed the localized form of the disease and underwent a lob ectomy. Immunohistochemical stains helped to demonstrate the communication between the airway system and interstitium. This report strengthens the the ory that the disease develops from airway rupture at the alveolar level.