Clinical features

Symptoms:

• may be asymptomatic
  
  
• rapid onset pleuritic chest pain
  
  
• breathlessness is seldom severe unless a tension pneumothorax develops

Signs:

• tachypnoea
  
  
• examination of the chest over a pneumothorax reveals:
  • reduced expansion
  • hyperresonance
  • reduced breath sounds
  • occasionally there is an inspiratory click
    
    
• in a tension pneumothorax:
  • quick diagnosis and treatment are essential
  • breathlessness may increase rapidly
  • the shift of the mediastinum and apex beat is away from the side of the lesion
    
    
• cyanosis is unusual unless there is a tension pneumothorax or underlying lung disease