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pneumothorax
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A pneumothorax is air or gas in the pleural space (between the parietal and visceral pleura) (1).
- the term ‘pneumothorax’ was first used in 1803 and later in 1819. At that time most cases were secondary to tuberculosis (2)
- a generalized pneumothorax results when a whole hemithorax contains air. A localized pneumothorax occurs when the visceral and parietal pleurae have become adherent.
In England, the annual consultation rates for pneumothorax between 1991 and 1995 were 24/100 000 for men and 9.8/100 000 for women, and admission rates were 16.7/100 000 and 5.8/100 000, respectively (3).
Reference:
- (1) Currie GP et al. Pneumothorax: an update. Postgrad Med J. 2007; 83(981): 461–465
- (2) MacDuff A et al. Management of spontaneous pneumothorax: British Thoracic Society Pleural Disease Guideline 2010. Thorax. 2010;65 Suppl 2:ii18-31
- (3) Bintcliffe O, Maskell N. Spontaneous pneumothorax. BMJ. 2014;348:g2928
Last reviewed 01/2018
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