A 24-year-old man is brought to the ED for a 30-minute history of sudden-onset shortness of breath and right-sided chest pain that began while he was playing basketball. He has no history of trauma or illnesses. On physical examination, he is 70kg and is 6’2″. Pulmonary examination shows decreased breath sounds and hyperresonance to percussion on the right side. Oxygen saturation is 94% on room air. Vitals are: BP 130/90, HR 80, RR 18. Chest X-ray reveals a visible pleural line with absent lung markings peripheral to the line on the right side. Tracheal deviation is to the right. Which of the following best explains the underlying cause of this patient’s condition?
Apical subpleural bleb rupture due to underlying connective tissue defect
Autoimmune-mediated destruction of alveolar-capillary interface
Autoimmune-mediated destruction of alveolar-capillary interface
Bronchial obstruction leading to air trapping and alveolar rupture
Granulomatous inflammation resulting in cavitary necrosis
Reduction of venous return to the right atrium
