Pneumothorax is what disease?

Written by Li Tao
Pulmonology
Updated on September 15, 2024
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Pneumothorax refers to the condition where gas enters the pleural cavity. Normally, the pleural cavity is a sealed space formed by the visceral pleura covering the lung surface and the parietal pleura on the chest wall. When gas enters the pleural cavity due to some reason, causing a state of gas accumulation, it is called pneumothorax. The causes of pneumothorax can be diseases of the lungs themselves or gas produced after the lungs and chest wall are injured by external forces. Typically, the condition occurs when the pleura near the lung surface ruptures, allowing gas to enter the pleural cavity, which is referred to as pneumothorax.

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Written by Xia Bao Jun
Pulmonology
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Pneumothorax tracheal shift to which side?

When a patient suffers a pneumothorax, the trachea is displaced to the opposite side, and the heart is also shifted to the opposite side. In cases of left-sided pneumothorax, the heart's dullness boundary and the upper boundary of the liver during right-sided pneumothorax are both undetectable. There can be manifestations of subcutaneous emphysema in the neck, chest, and even the head and abdomen. The patient may exhibit diminished respiratory movements and a significant reduction or absence of breath sounds. When a small amount of air accumulates in the pleural cavity, weakened breath sounds on the affected side may be the only suspicious sign.

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Written by Xia Bao Jun
Pulmonology
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Pneumothorax is caused by what?

Pneumothorax is caused by the entry of air into the pleural cavity, leading to a series of changes. Pneumothorax can be divided into spontaneous and traumatic pneumothorax. Spontaneous pneumothorax occurs without trauma or other causes, while traumatic pneumothorax is caused by direct or indirect trauma to the pleura. Spontaneous pneumothorax can be further categorized into primary and secondary pneumothorax. Patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax do not have underlying lung disease, whereas secondary pneumothorax is a complication of lung disease, commonly seen in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Traumatic pneumothorax includes iatrogenic pneumothorax, which occurs during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

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Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
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Spontaneous pneumothorax and the difference between pneumothorax.

Simply put, spontaneous pneumothorax is a type of pneumothorax. In the classification of pneumothorax, besides spontaneous pneumothorax, there are also traumatic pneumothorax and iatrogenic pneumothorax. Traumatic pneumothorax is caused by direct or indirect injury to the chest wall, while iatrogenic pneumothorax occurs during medical diagnosis and treatment. Spontaneous pneumothorax often involves underlying lung diseases, such as emphysema, lung bullae, tuberculosis, lung cancer, and pneumoconiosis. It can also occur in healthy individuals without obvious lung abnormalities, typically seen in tall, thin males of young to middle age.

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Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
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Can pneumothorax recover by itself?

Pneumothorax is caused by a rupture of the pleura, allowing air to enter the pleural space. Patients often display symptoms such as coughing, chest pain, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. A lung radiograph can confirm the presence of a pneumothorax. Whether a patient with pneumothorax can recover on their own depends on the size of the pneumothorax. If it is a large pneumothorax, especially a communicative or tension pneumothorax, self-recovery is not possible, and treatment generally involves pleural puncture or pleural drainage tube placement. However, if the amount of air in the pneumothorax is small and the patient does not exhibit severe symptoms, then it is possible for the condition to resolve itself with bed rest.

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Written by Xia Bao Jun
Pulmonology
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How is pneumothorax treated?

The treatment of pneumothorax aims to promote the reexpansion of the affected lung and reduce recurrence, while considering the possibility of eliminating the cause of the disease. Treatment measures include non-surgical and surgical treatments. Non-surgical measures include observation, thoracic puncture for air evacuation, closed thoracic drainage, and pleural fixation. Surgical treatments include thoracoscopic surgery and open chest surgery. Choices should be made based on the type and frequency of occurrence of the pneumothorax, the degree of compression, the state of the condition, and the presence of complications, etc. Most patients can be cured through non-surgical treatment, while only a minority, approximately 10%-20% of patients, require surgical treatment.