Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Chest, Lung, Respiratory system, CT, CT-High Resolution, Diagnostic procedure, Biological effects, Tissue characterisation, Prospective, Diagnostic or prognostic study, Multicentre study
Authors:
P. De Souza1, P. Postigo1, D. Alves1, I. Souza1, P. Barros1, A. Souza 1, S. Rêgo2, C. A. P. Fontes3, A. S. A. D. Melo1; 1Niteroi/BR, 2Rio de Janeiro/BR, 3Niterói, RJ/BR
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2020/C-15296
Conclusion
Even with a monthly cannabis use similar to patients with abnormalities found, young patients who have not had long exposure time do not seem to have alterations in parenchyma. The usage-time component seems to have more relevance at the onset of alveolar destruction than the joints-per-day component of cannabis load analysis.
Our study points out that younger subjects with shorter exposure time, regardless of the amount of cannabis exposure, had an initial pattern of air retention or mild paraseptal emphysema, although most had no pulmonary alterations. Older individuals with longer exposure to cannabis smoke had significant air retention (Fig. 5), numerous paraseptal emphysema (Fig 6.), and large blisters (Fig. 7), evolving to hypertensive pneumothorax (Fig. 8), predominant in apexes.
We believe the results of this study indicate a natural history of lung disease caused by cannabis smoke. Frequent exposure to cannabis smoke appears to be related to the development of air retention, formation of emphysema paraseptal and blisters, and the increased risk of spontaneous hypertensive pneumothorax.
The hypothesis raised by the group is that the longer the patient smokes cannabis, the more lesions accumulate through small barotraumas. Over the years, it can culminate in VLS and pneumothorax.
Further studies with a larger sample and with functional, laboratory and clinical evaluation may further elucidate the development of this cannabis-related lung disease.
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