Abstract
Spontaneous pneumothorax is a disease that may cause serious respiratory distress and can be a life-threatening condition. A total of 1.3% of all spontaneous pneumothorax cases are simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax (SBSP). In this study, because of its rarity, we discuss SBSP cases in light of previously reported cases. Between January 2004 and December 2009, SBSP was detected in five patients. All patients were male, and the mean patient age was 18.6 (between 16 and 22 years of age). All patients had various degrees of dyspnea and chest pain. All diagnoses were established by chest X-rays. Two patients (40%) had primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP), and three (60%) had secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) (two patients had silicosis, and one had Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia). Previously, bilateral tube thoracostomies were performed on all patients. One PSP patient had a left apical pleurectomy with axillary thoracotomy; the other had a right apical pleurectomy. Tetracycline pleurodesis was performed on one of the silicosis patients. No additional surgical procedure or pleurodesis was performed on the other silicosis patient or on the pneumonia patient. No recurrence of pneumothorax was observed in any patient. SBSP could be a life-threatening condition; therefore, urgent diagnosis and appropriate treatment of this condition can save patients' lives.
Highlights
Materials and MethodsSpontaneous pneumothorax is a type of pneumothorax that occurs spontaneously, in the absence of iatrogenic or traumatic factors
Two patients (40%) had primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP), and three (60%) had secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP)
Bilateral tube thoracostomies were performed on all patients
Summary
Spontaneous pneumothorax is a type of pneumothorax that occurs spontaneously, in the absence of iatrogenic or traumatic factors. PSP occurs with the rupture of subpleural apical blebs in the lungs of healthy people who have no additional lung disease. SSP occurs in patients with an underlying lung disease that causes pneumothorax. PSP mostly affects young, thin males, whereas SSP mostly affects the elderly [1]. In the US, the incidence of PSP is 7.4/100,000 in men and 1.2/100,000 in women; the incidence of SSP is 6.3/100,000 in men and 2/100,000 in women [2]. SBSP is a rare condition and forms only 1.3% of all spontaneous pneumothorax cases [3]. Five SBSP cases that we identified are presented and compared to other cases reported in the literature
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