Pneumothorax complicated by chronic steroid treatment

Abstract

A report is presented of seven patients with pneumothorax in whom chronic corticosteroid treatment appeared to be responsible for a delay or failure in effecting lung re-expansion by closed thoracostomy tube drainage. Observations in twenty-nine dogs in which a traumatic pneumothorax was produced indicate that: (1) chronic corticosteroid treatment inhibits healing of the injured lung; (2) lung re-expansion is retarded by continued air leaks; (3) infection is likely to occur in any residual pleural space; (4) simple repair of the injury, despite the corticosteroid effect, will be followed by re-expansion of the lung. A report is presented of seven patients with pneumothorax in whom chronic corticosteroid treatment appeared to be responsible for a delay or failure in effecting lung re-expansion by closed thoracostomy tube drainage. Observations in twenty-nine dogs in which a traumatic pneumothorax was produced indicate that: (1) chronic corticosteroid treatment inhibits healing of the injured lung; (2) lung re-expansion is retarded by continued air leaks; (3) infection is likely to occur in any residual pleural space; (4) simple repair of the injury, despite the corticosteroid effect, will be followed by re-expansion of the lung.