article · BMC Pulmonary Medicine
Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that predominantly impacts unvaccinated children and commonly leads to respiratory complications, including severe measles pneumonia. In exceptional circumstances, patients may develop air leak syndrome, an uncommon and life-threatening condition involving pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and pneumopericardium, which can rapidly trigger respiratory failure. A clinical case of a five-month-old infant presenting with measles pneumonia complicated by this combination of air leaks illustrates the extreme severity of the condition. Despite the provision of appropriate respiratory support, the infant died forty-eight hours following presentation. Such co-occurrences are exceedingly rare in medical records. Managing these critical scenarios requires prompt diagnostic recognition of air leak manifestations, targeted therapeutic support, and widespread uptake of routine vaccination programmes to prevent severe measles infection.
Measles remains a dangerous infection for unvaccinated infants and can trigger rapid, catastrophic respiratory complications. Understanding that severe pneumonia can cause multiple air leakages within the chest helps healthcare providers recognise critical deterioration much faster. More broadly, it reinforces the vital importance of childhood immunisation campaigns in shielding young infants from preventable, life-threatening viral diseases.
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Abstract Background Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that most often affects unvaccinated children. The most frequent manifestation is respiratory involvement, which can progress to severe forms such as measles pneumonia. Air leak syndrome, comprising pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and pneumopericardium, is an exceptional and life-threatening complication that can precipitate respiratory failure. Case presentation We report the case of a five-month-old infant with measles pneumonia, further complicated by an Air leak syndrome consisting of pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and pneumopericardium. The association of measles pneumonia on the one hand and pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and pneumopericardium on the other is exceedingly rare, with only a limited number of similar cases described in the literature. Despite appropriate respiratory support, the infant died after forty-eight hours. Conclusion Through this case, we revisit the underlying pathophysiology of measles pneumonia and air leak syndrome, the diagnostic approach, and the various therapeutic options. This case report highlights the importance of early recognition of Air leak syndrome and the central role of vaccination in preventing this serious disease.
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DOI: 10.1186/s12890-026-04568-6
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