Timely Management of Simultaneous Bilateral Spontaneous Pneumothorax: A Near-Death Experience.
Shilpa A Gaidhane, Nitish Batra, Apoorva Nirmal, Iftekhar Ansari
Cureus February 1, 2023 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.34684 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA rare case of simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax occurred in an 18-year-old boy who presented with sudden respiratory distress and required immediate mechanical ventilation. Chest X-ray confirmed the diagnosis, and he underwent bilateral intra-thoracic drainage followed by video-assisted thoracoscopy on the left side. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical, as the condition causes lung collapse in nearly two thirds of cases and can lead to significant respiratory failure.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | An 18-year-old boy |
| Interventions | bilateral intra-thoracic drainage video-assisted thoracoscopy |
| Keywords | Case report Life threatening presentation Sub pleural bull Tuberculosis |
| Key finding | Simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax, a rare condition, was diagnosed and treated with bilateral intra-thoracic drainage and video-assisted thoracoscopy. |
Abstract
Simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax is a situation that rarely occurs. The patient can have various presentations, from dyspnoea and chest pain to significant respiratory failure. Although it causes lung collapse in nearly two thirds of cases, early diagnosis and treatment are of the utmost importance. Here, we present the case of an 18-year-old boy who presented with complaints of sudden onset respiratory distress. He was immediately put on mechanical ventilation. He was diagnosed with simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax on chest X-ray. He needed bilateral intra-thoracic drainage, following which a video-assisted thoracoscopy was done on the left side.