An 18 year-old male who had smoked cannabis for four years presented with a spontaneous pneumothorax and was treated by apical bullectomy. The surgical and histopathological findings were characteristic of “bong lung”. This patient is the youngest reported in the literature and the case highlights the fact that the disease can occur even in adolescents after a few years of smoking cannabis.
I wish to thank Dr Debbie Norris, Histopathologist,
Queensland Medical Laboratories for her advice on the
histological features of this condition and for the photomicrographs, and Dr Peter M. Wragg, Thoracic and
Vascular Surgeon, Wesley Medical Centre for his comments on the surgical findings and for the photographs
taken at thoracoscopy.