Spontaneous pneumothorax is a common surgical problem.
Eighty cases of spontaneous penumothorax encountered in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Keimyung University during the period from August 1978 to September 1982 were reviewed.
The incidence was highest in the adult between 11 to 40 year of age, showing 58%. Three cases of bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax (3.7%) were noted. Primary spontaneous pneumothorax was the most common cause and was 58.7% of cases.
Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax group was 33 cases (41.3%), of which 21 cases were tuberculosis, 6 chronic bronchitis with emphysematous bullae or blebs, 4 asthma and 2 lung cancer.
Among 80 cases, the collapsed lung was re-expanded completely with absolute bed rest in 2 cases, neddle aspiration in 4 cases, closed thoracotomy in 73 cases and 9 cases were treated with ope thoracotomy with resection of the lesion.
Closed thoracotomy was the main therapeutic approach of choice in the great majority (73 cases) of spontaneous pneumothorax with the recurrence rate of 18%.
However, open thoracotomy was undertaken in patients with contineous air leakage over 15 days, recurrent episodes, bilateral peumothorax and large visible apical blebs or bullae.
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