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Book

Right Middle Lobe Syndrome

Umair Shaikh  1 , Daniel Heller  2
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
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Free Books & Documents
Book

Right Middle Lobe Syndrome

Umair Shaikh et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Middle lobe syndrome (MLS) is a relatively uncommon clinical entity that is under-recognized in clinical practice. It was first identified clinically in 1948 by Graham et al. in a case series involving 12 patients with nontuberculous middle lobe atelectasis secondary to extensive compression by enlarged lymph nodes. Recurrent or fixed right middle lobe opacification is almost pathognomonic for MLS; however, lingular involvement is common due to similar anatomic and physiological burdens. Though there has been no established definition of middle lobe syndrome, it has been recognized to involve two fundamentally different pathophysiological pathways that lead to recurrent middle lobe atelectasis: obstructive and nonobstructive.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Umair Shaikh declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Daniel Heller declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. GRAHAM EA, BURFORD TH, MAYER JH. Middle lobe syndrome. Postgrad Med. 1948 Jul;4(1):29-34. - PubMed
    1. Gudbjartsson T, Gudmundsson G. Middle lobe syndrome: a review of clinicopathological features, diagnosis and treatment. Respiration. 2012;84(1):80-6. - PubMed
    1. Wagner RB, Johnston MR. Middle lobe syndrome. Ann Thorac Surg. 1983 Jun;35(6):679-86. - PubMed
    1. Bertelsen S, Struve-Christensen E, Aasted A, Sparup J. Isolated middle lobe atelectasis: aetiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of the so-called middle lobe syndrome. Thorax. 1980 Jun;35(6):449-52. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bradham RR, Sealy WC, Young WG. Chronic middle lobe infection. Factors responsible for its development. Ann Thorac Surg. 1966 Jul;2(4):612-6. - PubMed

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