Healy et al: Significance of incidentally identified bullae and blebs on thoracic computed tomography and prevalence of subsequent pneumothorax in dogs
Veterinary Surgery 1, 2025

🔍 Key Findings

Population: 2,178 canine CTs reviewed retrospectively.
Prevalence: Incidental PBBs found in 1.37% (30/2178).
Outcome: None of the dogs with incidental PBBs developed clinical spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) over a median follow-up of 1255 days.
Significant Associations:

• Age: Dogs with PBBs were significantly older (median 10.5 yrs vs. 8.2 yrs, p = .001).
• CT indication: PBBs more likely during neoplastic staging (p = .006).

PBB Characteristics:

• Total = 60 PBBs (median 1/dog; range 1–7).
• Location: 35% in left caudal, 31.6% right caudal, only 13.3% in right cranial lobe.
• Size-based: 25 bullae (>10 mm), 35 blebs (≤10 mm).

Conclusion: Prophylactic resection of incidental PBBs not justified given no observed SP risk in this population.