Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

International Expert Consensus and Recommendations for Neonatal Pneumothorax Ultrasound Diagnosis and Ultrasound-guided Thoracentesis Procedure
Published on: March 12, 2020
[Subacute thoracic pain]
U Grob1, M Lachat, Th Pfammatter
1Medizinische Poliklinik, Departement für Innere Medizin, Universitätsspital Zürich.
Abstract:
A 75-year old woman with essential hypertension presented two days after the onset of a sudden and strong thoracic pain. The pain did neither increase during breathing nor decrease after the ingestion of nitroglycerine, and could not be triggered by physical manipulation of the thoracic wall. Electrocardiogram showed a left bundle branch block, chest X-ray showed a widened upper mediastinum. Rupture/dissection of an aberrant right subclavian artery (a. lusoria) could be diagnosed by computed tomography. Successful implantation of an endovascular stent-graft was carried out. Evaluation of (sub)acute thoracic pain should include two-plane chest X-ray and, in case of a widened mediastinum, further investigation by computed tomography. In case of highly suspected rupture/dissection of an intrathoracic artery, a specific imaging procedure such as computed tomography is crucial.
Related Concept Videos
The Thoracic Cage: Sternum
The sternum is the elongated bony structure on the anterior side of the thoracic cage. It consists of three parts: the manubrium, the body, and the xiphoid process.
Thoracic Aorta
Veins of Thorax
The azygos vein, positioned just right of the midline and anterior to the vertebral column, begins at the junction of the right ascending lumbar and subcostal veins, terminating in the superior vena cava. This vein drains blood from the right side of the thoracic wall, thoracic viscera, and posterior abdominal wall.
The...
Pressure Relationships in Thoracic Cavity
Breathing Mechanisms
Both intra-alveolar and intrapleural pressures rely on specific lung properties. The ability to breathe—allowing air to enter the lungs during...
Pneumothorax-II
Clinical Manifestations:
Aneurysm II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies

