AGENESIS OF THE LUNG

Abstract

A careful review of the literature indicates that the total failure of a lung to develop is exceedingly rare. Only 37 authentic cases have been reported. Twenty-four of the patients were children under 12 years of age. We wish to add to this series a case of our own. The patients in the recorded cases had the following age distribution: 3 stillborn infants (Gruber¹ and Minne and Gernez²); 5 infants under 1 week of age (Maschka,³ Théremin,⁴ Miller,⁵ Hanson⁶ and Findlayson⁷); 13 infants under 6 months of age (Hein,⁸ Stein,⁹ Théremin,⁴ Miller,⁵ [2 cases], Gross,¹⁰ Gilkey,¹¹ Finner,¹² Hepner,¹³ Knott,¹⁴ Dyson,¹⁵ Toni¹⁶ and Hurwitz and Stephens¹⁷), 2 infants under 3 years of age (Yampolsky, Fowler and Stephens¹⁸ and Mitchell¹⁹); 1 child 8 years of age (Ellis²⁰) and 1 child