Introduction:
E-cigarettes are a popular alternative to traditional nicotine
containing cigarettes. The operational mechanism for e-cigarettes
involves heating a liquid to produce an aerosol that can be inhaled into
the lungs (1). A potential draw to e-cigarettes is the capability of the
liquid to contain various chemical compounds ranging from nicotine to
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinoids (CBD) oils that can be mixed
with additives and flavors (1). However, there are potential
consequences though that need to be considered. A now commonly
recognized pathology is e-cigarette/vaping associated lung injury
(EVALI/VALI). This was first described in 2019 and by the end of that
year, a reported 2807 patients were admitted for EVALI with a total of
68 deaths (2). EVALI is an important consideration in the pediatric
realm as adolescents have easy access to electronic cigarettes. The
median age of admitted patients was 21 years old with a male
predominance (2). Since this is a relatively new diagnosis, there are no
prospective studies on the long term impacts on pulmonary health. Recent
issues have started to take precedence and to be more recognized in
literature, such as spontaneous pneumothorax related to e-cigarette use.
Here we present a case of recurrent complicated pneumothorax requiring
surgical intervention in an otherwise healthy 15-year-old female with a
significant vaping history.