It is most frequently seen against a background of the common lung diseases that cause enlargement and weakening of the air spaces such as emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Occasional patients have one or more very large bullae.
Does everyone have blebs on their lungs?
Epidemiology. Blebs are a very common finding in otherwise normal individuals. They are often found in young patients. They are more common in thin patients and in cigarette smokers 1.
What causes a bulla in the lung?
The most common cause of a lung bulla is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Other conditions associated with lung bullae are alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Marfan syndrome, Ehler-Danlos syndrome, cocaine smoking, sarcoidosis, HIV infection, and intravenous (IV) drug abuse.
