Canadian vaper, 17, suffers a new type of e-cigarette illness dubbed 'popcorn lung' and is put on life support just five months after taking up the habit

  • Ontario teenager had chemical burns in airways that left him gasping for breath
  • He had been puffing on sweet, fruity vape oils and admitted adding THC to them
  • Was hooked up to life support and had hole cut in his throat to get air to his lungs 
  • Case different from vape illness sweeping US, which damages air sacs in lungs

A teenager was nearly killed by a new kind of vaping-related injury dubbed 'popcorn lung' just months after taking up e-cigarettes.

The 17-year-old, from Ontario, Canada, was taken to hospital last year with a severe cough, fever and shortness of breath.

He was misdiagnosed with pneumonia, a lung infection, and sent home with a prescription for antibiotics.

But the unidentified teenager returned five days later, still gasping for breath, with fatigue and nausea.

Doctors learned that in the five months prior, he had started vaping heavily every day using a mix of flavoured e-cigarette oils bought online.

A 17-year-old boy, from Ontario, was taken to hospital last year with a severe cough, fever and shortness of breath. An X-ray scan revealed tiny opacities - build-ups of material such as fluid - in both of his lungs, which the doctors said was consistent with bronchiolitis or 'popcorn lung'

A 17-year-old boy, from Ontario, was taken to hospital last year with a severe cough, fever and shortness of breath. An X-ray scan revealed tiny opacities - build-ups of material such as fluid - in both of his lungs, which the doctors said was consistent with bronchiolitis or 'popcorn lung'

Pictured: Scans of his lungs on the first day he was in hospital - the small white lumps signal opacities inflaming his organs

Pictured: Scans of his lungs on the first day he was in hospital - the small white lumps signal opacities inflaming his organs

He liked sweet and fruity flavours such as green apple, cotton candy and ‘dew mountain’, a spin on the popular energy drink Mountain Dew.

The patient also admitted adding THC, the psychoactive agent in marijuana, to his liquids.

WHAT IS POPCORN LUNG? 

'Popcorn lung' is the nickname for bronchiolitis obliterans, a condition which damages the smallest airways in the lungs.

It is a rare disease which can develop after an injury to the lung caused by a chemical or infection – known possible causes include chlorine, ammonia, welding fumes or food flavourings.

It got its nickname from the buttery food flavouring chemical, diacetyl, which used to be in microwaved popcorn may cause it.

Cancer Research UK says that although there are concerns e-cigarettes may cause the condition there is 'no good evidence' of a link so far.

People who have had lung transplants may also get the condition if their body tries to reject the organs.

Symptoms include a dry cough, difficulty breathing, wheezing or exhaustion.

The illness damages the lungs by causing swelling and scarring which block up the small airways in the organs, known as the bronchioles.

Obstruction in the bronchioles means the lungs have a smaller surface area through which they can absorb oxygen, so people may struggle to breathe efficiently.

Sources: WebMD, Cancer Research UK and National Institutes of Health

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Black market THC products are thought to be the culprit for the vaping epidemic in the US that has seen 42 deaths and more than 2,000 hospitalisations.

Following a series of X-rays and CT scans, medics diagnosed the teenager with bronchiolitis obliterans, or 'popcorn lung'.

The serious and irreversible lung injury is normally caused by inhaling diacetyl, the chemical that provides a buttery or caramel-like flavour to popcorn.

Although diacetyl is safe to eat, it can be deadly to inhale. Medics believe the patient’s vape liquids were flavoured with the chemical, or something similar.

The case shares similarities with the vaping-related illness in the US, dubbed EVALI.

But the injury is different, according to the team of doctors from the London Health Sciences Centre, who revealed the tale in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Instead of damaging air sacs inside the lungs, the teenager’s airways were chemically burned. 

He was hooked up to a ventilator, but his condition continued to deteriorate. Over the next two weeks, he was placed on life support and an artificial lung was needed to pump oxygen through his body.

Doctors had to perform a tracheostomy, which involved slicing an opening in his neck and placing a tube in his windpipe to get air to his lungs.

Fearing he might need a double lung transplant, the team transferred the teen to the Toronto General Hospital for evaluation at its lung transplant program.

But he managed to avoid having the operation when high-dose steroids helped reduce inflammation. After 47 days in hospital the teenager was discharged. 

But four months later he still has trouble breathing, medics said. They are unsure if his lungs will ever fully recover.

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