Radiologic study of spontaneous pneumothorax

ABSTRACT

The authors reviewed serial chest films of 113 patients of spontaneous pneumothorax which were treated byclosed tube thoracotomy during the period from May, 1979 till July, 1982 in CNUH. The resuls are as follows; 1.Male was more frequently affected than female, and the sex ratio was 3.51. 2. 71.1 per cent of patients were over31 years of age. 3. Of the 113 cases, 51.3 per cent were on the right, 48.7 per cent on the left. 4. The mostcommon underlying pulmonary disease was pulmonary tuberculosis(39.8), the next was belb or bullar (17.7%), and thelast was pneumonia(8.8%). 5. Pneumothorax was the most common type in pulmonary tuberculosis(66.7%), andpyopneumothorax in pneumonia(80.0%). 6. Among 103 cases in complete re-expansion of collapsed lung after closedthe thoracotomy, 39.5 per cent was expanded completely within 1 week in presence of visceral and/or parietalpleural thickening, and 86.2 per cent in none of it. According to the degree of pneumothorax, the more severedegree of pneumothorax, the more delay in re-expansion times. 7. Most common chest finding after re-expansion ofcollapsed lung was pleural thickening(51.4%).