Liquid ventilation in an infant with persistent interstitial pulmonary emphysema.

We present the case of a full term infant affected by diffuse persistent interstitial pulmonary emphysema (PIPE), who was treated with partial liquid ventilation (PLV) after the failure of conventional management. PIPE is a lethal chronic lung disease of unclear pathogenesis. Clinical history, radiological and histological findings confirmed the diagnosis in our patient. PLV applied for 48 hours resulted in a significant improvement in the infant's respiratory function and was not associated with adverse effects. We concluded that PLV could be effective in prolonging the survival of infants with PIPE; its application represents an effective form of respiratory support in infants with chronic lung disease.