A Case of Spontaneous Pneumothorax During Chemotherapy for Metastatic Choriocarcinoma / 대한산부인과학회잡지

ABSTRACT

Spontaneous pneumothorax is a rare complication of pulmonary metastatic disease, most often following chemotherapy for osteogenic sarcomas, primary lung cancer or malignant germ cell tumors. Intensive chemotherapy may theoretically increase the risk of pneumothorax in patients with manifest or occult lung metastases by inducing rapid lysis of the tumor tissue and by interfering with repair processes. We present a case of patient with spontaneous pneumothorax after the introduction of chemotherapy for metastatic choriocarcinoma and review the literature and discuss the possible pathophysiologic mechanisms.