INTRODUCTION Subcutaneous emphysema of the scrotum due to traumatic pneumothorax is a rare medical situation and only a few cases are reported in the literature. CASE REPORT We present the case of a 22 year old man who was admitted to the emergency department after a motorcycle accident having a painless crepitant scrotum and chest excoriations. Further evaluation revealed subcutaneous emphys...

Spontaneous pneumothorax represents a common clinical problem. An overview of relevant and updated information on epidemiology, pathophysiology and cause(s) of spontaneous (primary and secondary) pneumothorax is described.

Pneumothorax is defined as the presence of air in the pleural cavity. A pneumothorax might occur spontaneously in patients without underlying lung disease (primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP)) or in patients with an underlying lung disease (secondary spontaneous pneumothorax), most commonly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The underlying cause of spontaneous pneumothorax is likely to b...

Pneumothorax in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) often presents as a difficult-to-treat disease. Autologous blood-patch pleurodesis has previously been used for the treatment of pneumothorax. Blood outside its own environment is an irritant; therefore, chest physicians must watch closely for an allergic reaction. The injection is simple, painless, causes no side effects, is an...

Thoracic paravertebral block is performed for the treatment of patients with chronic pain, such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and post-herpetic neuralgia. Thoracic paravertebral block can result in iatrogenic pneumothorax. Because pneumothorax can develop into medical emergencies and needle aspiration or chest tube placement may be needed, early diagnosis is very important. Recently,...

BACKGROUND The occurrence of occupational lung diseases is decreasing due to improvements in occupational health in recent years; however, silicosis and its complications remain important occupational health problems. We have studied the role of emphysema and bullae as predictive factors of secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in acute and accelerated silicosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study...

Recurrent pneumothorax is rare during pregnancy. We describe a Chinese woman, with a history of spontaneous pneumothorax managed with an intercostal drain, who developed a recurrent pneumothorax during her 32nd week of pregnancy. There is no consensus on management in this situation. We review the literature and discuss different management approaches. Thirty-six cases of antepartum pneumothora...

Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax almost always develops secondary to an underlying lung disease. A pneumothorax secondary to a malignancy is very rare, and is observed most frequently in soft tissue sarcomas. Pazopanib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is used in metastatic soft tissue sarcomas treatment. The rate of pneumothorax that is caused by pazopanib is about 14% in the literature. The pat...

Management of patients with a spontaneous pneumothorax continues to challenge clinicians. Recent guidelines help provide care pathways for these patients and highlight the many areas in need of additional study. Management options for spontaneous pneumothoraces should be selected based primarily upon a patient's clinical status. Observation or pleural air drainage, in selected patients, plays a...

When the juvenile worms of the genus Paragonimus migrate and cause defects on the surface of the visceral pleura, pneumothorax can develop. A 34-year-old woman was admitted for pneumothorax with which was developed after she ate raw fish and crab. A 21-year-old male soldier presented with recurrent bilateral pneumothorax without eosinophilia, caused after drinking stream water frequently. In bo...