• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.887-893
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• 1990

We have experienced 142 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax from January 1987 to June 1990 at the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Inha General Hospital, Inha University College of Medicine. The age of patients ranged from 16 to 79 years \ulcornerold. The incidence was highest between late 2nd and 3rd decades in non tuberculous group. Males occupied 110 cases [77.6%] and females 32 cases [22. 5%], and its ratio was 3.4: l. The incidence of right side pneumothorax was 76 cases [53.5%] and left side was 65 cases [45.8%]. There was one case of bilateral pneumothorax. The most common chief complaints were chest pain and dyspnea. The associated pulmonary lesions were pulmonary tuberculosis, active or healed in 51 cases [35.9%], Subpleural bleb in 19 cases [13.4%], emphysematous bulla in 12 cases [13.4%], asthma in 3, bronchiectasis in 3, pneumonia in 1, cyst in 1. The unknown origin pneumothorax, so called "idiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax”, which seemed to be caused by the rupture of bleb or bulla most likely, were 52 cases [36. 6%] in our series. Generally, closed [tube] thoracotomy with underwater sealed drainage is the treatment of choice in spontaneous pneumothorax. We experienced 94 cases[66.2%] which were cured by closed thoracotomy. However, open thoracotomy and adequate surgical procedures were undertaken in patient with continuous air leakage or recurrent attacks of spontaneous pneumothorax in 48 cases [33.8%]. The minithoracotomy is a good procedure for the bullectomy of upper lobe.lobe.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.191-196
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• 1979

Marfan syndrome which is complicated with spontaneous pneumothorax is a rare chance we can contact usually. There are many aspects of the clinical features in the Marfan syndrome such as ectopia lentis, cardiovascular anomalies, and skeletal anomalies. With the use of this paper, we report a rare case, Marfan syndrome complicated with spontaneous pneumothorax.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.532-537
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• 1993

To assess the therapy of spontaneous pneumothorax in the aged patients, the treatment methods and results in 60 patients 50 years of age or older were retrospectively reviewed. Most of the patients were male [56 of 60 patients] and the major underlying lung diseases associated with spontaneous pneumothorax were tuberculosis [32 patients] and chronic obstructive lung disease [20 patients]. The recurrence rate of thoracostomy tube drainage with or without chemical pleurodesis using tetracycline was 39.6% [21 of 53 patients], but there was no recurrence in the patients treated with open thoracotomy, pleural abrasion, and chemical pleurodesis using talcum powder[Asbestosis free]. In the patients treated with open thoracotomy, the bullous or bleb lesions were placed in the various sites of both lungs. We concluded that even though thoracostomy tube drainage is the first choice of therapy for spontaneous pneumothorax in the aged patients, the recurrence rate is high, especially in the patients with persistent air leakage for more than 2 days, and the open thoracotomy with pleural abrasion and chemical pleurodesis using talcum powder can prevent the recurrence in the selected patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.82-88
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• 1984

Total 310 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax in 281 patients were analyzed to review the results of surgical treatment for this condition. Clinical data on the age & sex distribution, recurrence, etiologic conditions and on the other aspects of spontaneous neumothorax were summarized. The results of surgical management of spontaneous pneumothorax are followings; 205 out of 310 cases[66.1%] were cured by closed thoracostomies. 82 cases[26.5%] were cured by thoracotomy. The indications of thoracotomy were 1] persistent air leakage, 2] history of recurrences, 3] blebs or bullae on thoracoscopy, 4] associated parenchymal lesion, 5] pneumothorax caused by paragonimiasis. Other reasons of thoracotomy were bilateral pneumothorax and inadequate expansion due to chronicity. Excision of blebs or wedge resection was performed in most cases with good result. Lobectomy [9 case] or pneumonectomy [3 cases] was carried out depending on the pathological involvement of the lung. There was no operative death and only one case showed recurrent pneumothorax during follow-up after thoracotomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1286-1291
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• 1992

We have experienced 456 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax from January, 1981 to December, 1991 at the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chonbuk National University Hospital. Of these, 102 cases were recurrent pneumothorax. These 102 cases were based on the retrospective clinical analysis, and the results were as follows: The ratio of male to female was 6.2: 1 in male predominance and the old aged patients, over 50 years old, occupied 46.8%a of all patients. Primary spontaneous pneumothorax was 43 cases[42.6%] and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax was 59 cases. The underlying pathology in secondary spontaneous pneumothorax was tuberculosis: 31 cases[30.4%], emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 27 cases[26.1%], Most frequent operative and pathologic findings in the primary and the secondary spontaneous pneumothorax was bullae and blebs at apex. The employed managements were only closed thoracostomy in 41 cases, open thoracot-omy in 61 cases. The operative procedures at thoracotomy were bullectomy or bullae ligation in 37 cases, bullae resection with wedge resection in 8 cases, bullae resection with segmentectomy in 6 cases, bullae resection with decortication in 3 cases, lobectomy in 5 cases, decortication in 2 cases. Complications were subcutaneous emphysema[5 cases], wound infection[1 case], and temporary pulmonary insufficiency[1 cases]

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.386-389
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• 1990

Spontaneous Pneumothorax as a complication of lung cancer is rare, as seen from the literature, comprising only 1.13 per cent of all pneumothoraces. All histologic types of lung cancer have been reported principally squamous cell carcinoma probably because of its relatively higher incidence. Beside the fact that it occurs in the same high risk population [Smokers, chronic bronchitis and those with emphysema], pneumothorax may reveal a cancer. Recently, we observed three cases of lung cancer with spontaneous pneumothorax, the one was squamous cell carcinoma and the others were adenocarcinoma. Three cases of spontaneous pneumothoraces occurred as a complication of neoplastic disease.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.535-538
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• 2003

Spontaneous pneumothorax accompanying primary lung cancer is rare and its occurrence as an initial sign of primary lung cancer is much rarer. A few articles on spontaneous pneumothorax accompanying lung cancer have been published in Korea so far. Lung cancers, diagnosed after spontaneous pneumothorax, are usually in advanced stage, so that conservative treatment modalities such as closed tube thoracostomy, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy are the mainstream of the treatment. We experienced a case of local recurrence of primary lung cancer in six months after radical resection and radiotherapy of neoplasm performed immediately after the diagnosis by excisional biopsy of bulla, for which resection and pleurodesis had been done under the impression of spontaneous pneumothorax. In this paper, we report the case and follow-up observation of the patient.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.401-405
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• 2002

Mycoplasma pneumoniae(M. pneumoniae) is the leading cause of pneumonia in school-age children and young adults. The clinical courses are usually mild but recently, severe cases were reported such as lung abscess, Swyer-James syndrome and adult respiratory distress syndrome. Spontaneous pneumothorax associated with M. pneumoniae infection is rare. Carlisle reported a 6-year-old patient with bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax associated with M. pneumoniae infection and Koura also reported a 18-year-old girl with repeated. M. pneumoniae pneumonia with recurrent pneumothorax. We experienced bilateral spontaneous tension pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema associated with M. pneumoniae infection in a 6-year-old boy who presented with dyspnea, chest pain, and neck swelling. We reported it as the first case in Korea.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.750-759
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• 1986

Spontaneous pneumothorax is usually seen in young adult male. And typically, the patient is a tall, thin, 20- to 30-year-old male. Usually the pneumothorax results from rupture of a pulmonary bleb. Author reviewed 66 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax experienced in the Dept. of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, Pusan National University Hospital, since Jan., 1980 to Aug., 1986. The clinical data were summarized as follows: 1. The age distribution of spontaneous pneumothorax: 17 to 34 years old and mean age was 25.3 years. 2. The sex distribution of spontaneous pneumothorax: 52 in men, 14 in women and the ratio was 3.7:1. 3. Chest dimension in male patients: Maximum posteroanterior distance [MPA], MPA/Maximum width [MW]: Significantly smaller than control group. Distance from second to tenth rib on left [L2-10], Distance from second rib on right to diaphragm [R2-D], R2-D/MW: Significantly larger than control group. 4. Chest dimension in female patients: MPA, MW: Significantly smaller than control group. Distance from second rib on left to diaphragm [L2-D], Distance from second to tenth rib on right [R2-10], R2-D, L2-10/MW, L2-D/MW, R2-10/MW, R2-D/MW: Significantly larger than control group.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1044-1048
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• 1989

In this study, 26 cases of bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax experienced at the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital during from 1985 to August 1989 were analyzed retrospectively. The results were as follows; 1. The incidence of bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax was 13.5 % and sex ratio was 7.7:1 with male preponderance. 2. Among the nonsimultaneously occurring cases of bilateral pneumothorax, 12 patients [75 %] were developed at contralateral side within a year. 3. The most patients [65.4%] belonged to the age group between 15 and 25 year-old, and among 57 male patients suffered spontaneous pneumothorax in the same age group, 16 cases[28%] developed bilaterally. 4. The etiologic factors were as follows; blebs or bullae; 65.4 %, tuberculosis; 15.4 %, unknown; 19.2 %. 5. In the method of treatment, 15 patients were treated by closed tube thoracotomy and underwater-seal drainage only, 10 patients were treated by open thoracotomy. One patient died of respiratory failure due to severe destructed lung.