Infant with Clinical Evidence of Pulmonary Hypoplasia: A Case Report

Pulmonary hypoplasia is the incomplete development of lung tissue. A reduced number of lung cells, airways, and alveoli is the hallmark and can be seen unilaterally or in both lungs. The diagnosis, however, is usually made upon pathologic examination. Here we have presented a case of a term infant presenting with severe hypoxemic respiratory failure. Despite optimizing medical and respiratory management, the infant passed away at 22 hours of life. On autopsy, she was discovered to have bilateral diaphragmatic eventrations, which is a rare cause of secondary pulmonary hypoplasia. She also was found to have some other minor abnormalities on autopsy but no unifying cause for the eventrations and other abnormalities was elucidated.