Heavy cannabis use led to bullous lung disease and a collapsed lung in a young man | Research

The takeaway

A case report describes spontaneous pneumothorax (collapsed lung) caused by cannabis-induced bullous lung disease, adding to evidence that heavy marijuana smoking can cause serious structural lung damage.

Pulmonologists, emergency physicians, primary care providers, and heavy cannabis smokers.

Spontaneous collapsed lung from cannabis-induced bullous lung disease

What the researchers found

An adult male with a history of heavy cannabis use developed bullous lung disease (air-filled sacs in the lung tissue) that led to spontaneous secondary pneumothorax. This case illustrates a serious but underrecognized pulmonary complication of chronic cannabis smoking.

Why it matters

Bullous lung disease and pneumothorax from cannabis are increasingly reported but still underrecognized. As cannabis use grows, clinicians need awareness of this potentially life-threatening complication.

The numbers in context

Adult male with heavy cannabis use history. Developed bullous lung disease leading to spontaneous pneumothorax.

How the study worked

Single case report following SCARE criteria. Documents clinical presentation, imaging findings, and management of cannabis-induced bullous lung disease with spontaneous pneumothorax.

What this study cannot tell us

Single case report cannot establish frequency or predict who is at risk. Cannot fully exclude other causes of bullous disease. Patient history of other inhalational exposures may be incomplete.

How to read the evidence

Single case report. Alerts clinicians to a rare but serious complication.

When this study was published

Published 2023.

The bigger picture

Cannabis-induced lung damage has been documented in various forms. Bullous disease, where weakened lung tissue forms air pockets that can rupture, represents a particularly serious outcome that may be more common than currently recognized.

Questions still open

What is the prevalence of subclinical bullous changes in heavy cannabis smokers? Would routine chest imaging in heavy users identify this risk before pneumothorax occurs?

Common questions

Can cannabis cause a collapsed lung?

Yes. This case report and others document that heavy cannabis smoking can cause bullous lung disease, where weakened areas of lung tissue form air-filled sacs. When these rupture, the lung collapses (pneumothorax), a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment.

How common is lung damage from cannabis?

The exact prevalence is unknown because many cases may go undiagnosed until a serious event like pneumothorax occurs. Bullous changes may be present in heavy smokers without symptoms. As cannabis use increases, clinicians expect to see more cases.

Read the original research

Spontaneous secondary pneumothorax due to cannabis-induced bullous lung disease: a case report.

Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 85(7), 3731-3734

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Zhitny, Vladislav Pavlovich; Diaz, Jared; Lambert-Swainston, Chalette; Abdallah, Ala; Gurz, Sana; Young, Jake; Palma, Chriselyn; Chen, Cliff; Khan, Nazia. (2023). Spontaneous secondary pneumothorax due to cannabis-induced bullous lung disease: a case report.. Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 85(7), 3731-3734. https://doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000000968