A 53-year-old man was admitted to the hospital for management of pneumonia and a giant
fluid-filled bulla. He appeared acutely ill and had persistent fever despite prolonged therapy
with parenteral antibiotics and aggressive bronchial drainage. Percutaneous placement of
an 8.5 F catheter into the bulla enabled drainage of both fluid and air within the bulla and led
to resolution of his symptoms within 24 h. This report demonstrates that drainage of giant
fluid-filled bullae may lead to rapid resolution of symptoms and describes a novel …