Catamenial pneumothorax: A rare cause of recurrent pneumothorax

Introduction: Primary spontaneous pneumoth-orax is a common clinical occurrence. Although primary spontaneous pneumothorax is twice as common in men as in women. The recurrence rate is significantly higher in women. The two primary causes for recurrence in women are catamenial pneumothorax and endometriosis related pneumothorax. In the past, catamenial and/or endometriosis related pneumothorax were greatly underdiagnosed. The incidence has increased in the past decade because it is more easily recognized today. Spontaneous pneumothorax is a lung compression that occurs spontaneously due to air in the pleural space in a patient with no underlying lung disease. It can occur in men or women but occurs most often in men. It occurs through many different causes. Catamenial pneumothorax is a spontaneous pneumothorax that occurs at the time of menses in a woman that allows air to enter the thoracic space. Non-catamenial endometriosis related pneumothorax is a spontaneous pneumothorax that occurs when endometrial tissue ascends through diaphragmatic defects to the pleural space and allows air to enter. It can occur at any time and not just during the menses in a woman. Catamenial pneumothorax and noncatamenial endometriosis related pneumothorax are independent entities and are not synonyms. They may occur simultaneously but do not necessarily have to occur at the same time. Case Report: We present a case of recurrent pneumothorax diagnosed as catamenial pneumothorax in an otherwise healthy 34-year-old female. Conclusion: The percentages of catamenial pneumothorax are still unclear but it should be suspected and affectedly treated. (This page in not part of the published article.) International Journal of Case Reports and Images, Vol. 6 No. 1, January 2015. ISSN – [0976-3198] Int J Case Rep Images 2015;6(1):51–55. www.ijcasereportsandimages.com Jehangir et al. 51 CASE REPORT OPEN ACCESS Catamenial pneumothorax: A rare cause of recurrent pneumothorax Waqas Jehangir, Jay Harman, Nneka Iroka, Abdalla Yousif