What's the medical care for pneumatocele

Condition analysis:
A pneumatocele, or pneumatocyst, is an air or gas filled cyst that most often develops within lung tissue. Pneumatocele formation can occur in other regions of the body, however, including the brain. Pneumatocysts may occur singly but more often form in clusters. Infections, chemical exposure, or autoimmune diseases may all induce the condition, and trauma can be a contributing factor. Medical intervention generally involves treating the underlying condition and providing symptomatic relief.

Physicians have varying opinions concerning the physiology of pneumatocele formation. Some suggest that inflammation causes bronchiole obstruction, forcing air down into an alveolus. The increased pressure ruptures the alveolar lumen, creating an air pocket. Pneumatocysts in the outer areas of the lung may form when the bronchiolar lumen becomes inflamed, creating a passageway for air to escape. The increased pressure eventually causes tissue to balloon outward into the pleura.

Instructions:
Medical care for pneumatocele is treatment of the underlying condition. In most circumstances, this involves administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics to treat the pneumonia. Therapy should be directed against the most common bacterial organisms in children, including S aureus and S pneumoniae.

Positive pressure ventilation can result in a sudden increase in size and tension of a pneumatocele. Therefore, careful monitoring is essential in patients receiving positive pressure ventilation when pneumatoceles have been documented.