Tuberc Respir Dis.  1983 Jun;30(2):85-91. 10.4046/trd.1983.30.2.85.

A Clinical Study on the Pneumothorax

• KMID: 2528807
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1983.30.2.85

Abstract

A clinical study was done on the 147 patients with pneumothorax who had been treated in the department of internal medicine and thoracic surgery of Seoul National University Hospital from January 1978 to September 1982, and the following results were obtained. 1) Male to female ratio of 147 patients was 6 : 1. In iodiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax, the ratio was 8.5 : 1, but it was 2 : 1 in secondary spontaneous pneumothroax. 2) The most common cause of pneumothorax was tuberculosis and followed by idiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax(46.3%). Other causes were trauma(4. 1%), post-operative pneumothorax(2.0%) and primary bronchogenic carcinoma(0.7%). 3) The prevalence in order of age were twenties(34.7%), thirties (1 8. 4%) , teen (1 4.3%) and fourties (1 2.2%). 4)Pneumothorax assoicated with tuberculosis in fifties was 22% of all tuberculoss pneumothorax, which was the next but twenties(30%). 5) The recurrence rate was 30.1%. 6) The development of pneumothorax in the right side was 1. 5 times greater than the left. 7) In bed rest group the recurrence rate was 10% and it took 8.2 days on average for full re-expansion. 8) The recurrence rate of chest tube insertion and underwater seal drainage was 23% and the average duration for re-expansion was 16.2 days. Complication developedin 13.1% and the most fequent complication was subcutaneous emphysema. 9) In pleurodesis the recurrence rate -was 7% and the average days for lung expansion was 18 days. Complication were seen in 10% of cases, among which subcutaneous emphysema and tubal malfunction were the two most common causes. 10) The recurrence rate following open thoracotomy was 3.6% and the average duration for re-expansion of lung was 21 days. Three complications (10.7%) -Skin necrosis, atelectasis and contralateral pneumothorax were noted after operation.