TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence for adult lung growth in humans
AU - Butler, James P.
AU - Loring, Stephen H.
AU - Patz, Samuel
AU - Tsuda, Akira
AU - Yablonskiy, Dmitriy A.
AU - Mentzer, Steven J.
PY - 2012/7/19
Y1 - 2012/7/19
N2 - A 33-year-old woman underwent a right-sided pneumonectomy in 1995 for treatment of a lung adenocarcinoma. As expected, there was an abrupt decrease in her vital capacity, but unexpectedly, it increased during the subsequent 15 years. Serial computed tomographic (CT) scans showed progressive enlargement of the remaining left lung and an increase in tissue density. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the use of hyperpolarized helium-3 gas showed overall acinar-airway dimensions that were consistent with an increase in the alveolar number rather than the enlargement of existing alveoli, but the alveoli in the growing lung were shallower than in normal lungs. This study provides evidence that new lung growth can occur in an adult human.
AB - A 33-year-old woman underwent a right-sided pneumonectomy in 1995 for treatment of a lung adenocarcinoma. As expected, there was an abrupt decrease in her vital capacity, but unexpectedly, it increased during the subsequent 15 years. Serial computed tomographic (CT) scans showed progressive enlargement of the remaining left lung and an increase in tissue density. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the use of hyperpolarized helium-3 gas showed overall acinar-airway dimensions that were consistent with an increase in the alveolar number rather than the enlargement of existing alveoli, but the alveoli in the growing lung were shallower than in normal lungs. This study provides evidence that new lung growth can occur in an adult human.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84863992207&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1056/NEJMoa1203983
DO - 10.1056/NEJMoa1203983
M3 - Article
C2 - 22808959
AN - SCOPUS:84863992207
SN - 0028-4793
VL - 367
SP - 244
EP - 247
JO - New England Journal of Medicine
JF - New England Journal of Medicine
IS - 3
ER -