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International Expert Consensus and Recommendations for Neonatal Pneumothorax Ultrasound Diagnosis and Ultrasound-guided Thoracentesis Procedure
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Recurrence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax in young adults and children

Dongsub Noh1, Sungsoo Lee2, Seok Jin Haam1

  • 1Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
|May 1, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax recurrence is higher in children (≤16 years) after wedge resection compared to older patients. Delayed surgical intervention may be beneficial for pediatric patients experiencing primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Area of Science:

  • Thoracic surgery
  • Pediatric pulmonology
  • Medical research

Background:

  • Improved nutrition has increased growth rates in children.
  • There is a concurrent rise in primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) cases among children.
  • The study addresses the increasing incidence and management of PSP in pediatric and young adult populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the occurrence and recurrence rates of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP).
  • To evaluate the efficacy of surgical intervention versus non-surgical management for PSP.
  • To compare outcomes across different age groups, focusing on pediatric and young adult patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 517 patients diagnosed with PSP between 2006 and 2010.
  • Patients were categorized into three age groups: ≤16 years (Group A), 17-18 years (Group B), and ≥19 years (Group C).
  • Treatment modalities included video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) wedge resection and observation/closed thoracostomy.

Main Results:

  • Wedge resection led to recurrence in 51 patients, with rates of 27.9% (Group A), 16.5% (Group B), and 13.2% (Group C).
  • Recurrence rates after observation/closed thoracostomy were 45.7% (Group A), 51.9% (Group B), and 47.7% (Group C), showing no significant age-related difference.
  • The recurrence rate after wedge resection was significantly higher in the youngest age group (≤16 years).

Conclusions:

  • Postoperative recurrence rates in this study were higher than reported in existing literature.
  • Intense and prolonged follow-up may contribute to the observed higher recurrence rates.
  • Delayed surgical intervention, such as wedge resection, may be a more effective strategy for pediatric patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildrenPrimary spontaneous pneumothoraxRecurrenceYoung adult

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