INTRODUCTION Pneumothorax is a common problem in Denmark. Guidelines recommend insertion of small-bore (≤ 14 Fr) chest tubes or simple needle aspiration in spontaneous pneumothorax. Our objective was to investigate the management of pneumothorax in Danish hospitals. MATERIAL AND METHODS We undertook a questionnaire survey at all Danish acute hospitals enquiring about current practice in the m...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the application of video-assisted thoracoscopy in the management of recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax in the pediatric population. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 1995 and 1997, four patients with recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax were treated. Ages varied from 14 to 17 years. There were three males and one female. Two ...

BACKGROUND Simple aspiration and drainage is a standard initial treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax, but the rate of pneumothorax recurrence is substantial. We investigated whether additional minocycline pleurodesis after simple aspiration and drainage reduces the rate of recurrence. METHODS In our open-label, parallel-group, prospective, randomised, controlled trial at two hospita...

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease and pulmonary involvement is usually asympto matic in the early disease. Pneumothorax is defined as accumulation of air or gas in the pleural cavity. Spontaneous pneumothoraces (SP), which occur in the absence of thoracic trauma, are classified as primary (without underlying pulmonary disease) or secondary (with underlying pulmonary ...

Pneumothorax is defined as the presence of air in the pleural cavity. A pneumothorax might occur spontaneously in patients without underlying lung disease (primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP)) or in patients with an underlying lung disease (secondary spontaneous pneumothorax), most commonly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The underlying cause of spontaneous pneumothorax is likely to b...

Simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax is a very rare clinical event, comprising approximately 1% of all spontaneous pneumothoraces. Clinical signs and symptoms may vary from mild chest pain and dyspnea to severe respiratory failure; nevertheless immediate treatment is mandatory as this condition can deteriorate and progress to tension pneumothorax. An underlying lung disease has been ...

Pneumothorax-either spontaneous or iatrogenic-is commonly encountered in pulmonary medicine. While secondary pneumothorax is caused by an underlying pulmonary disease, the spontaneous type occurs in healthy individuals without obvious cause. The British Thoracic Society (BTS, 2010) and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP, 2001) published the guidelines for pneumothorax management. Th...

Spontaneous pneumothorax remains a significant health problem. However, with time, there have been improvements in pathogenesis, diagnostic procedures and both medical and surgical approaches to treatment. Owing to better imaging techniques, it is now clear that there is almost no normal visceral pleura in the case of spontaneous pneumothorax, and that blebs and bullae are not always the cause ...

OBJECTIVE To review our experience of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. DESIGN Longitudinal cohort study following up consecutive patients for 3 to 4.3 years. SETTING Thoracic Surgery Department, Chest Diseases Hospital, Kuwait. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION Seventy-two consecutive patients undergoing thoracoscopy for primary spontaneo...

PURPOSE The postoperative recurrence rate of pneumothorax tends to be higher with thoracoscopic bullectomy than with conventional plication of bullae by axillary thoracotomy or posterolateral thoracotomy. We analyzed the risk factors for postoperative recurrence of pneumothorax in young patients treated with thoracoscopic bullectomy alone for primary spontaneous pneumothorax. METHODS Univaria...