Popcorn Lung Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Popcorn lung' may have brought teen close to death after vaping for months Stout Middle School Popcorn Lung (Bronchiolitis Obliterans): Causes & Treatment Popcorn lung: Causes, symptoms, and treatment Doctors have linked vaping to a rare, incurable lung condition called obliterative bronchiolitis, often referred to as popcorn lung. The disease permanently scars and narrows the lungs' airways, causing lifelong breathing problems.