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Secondary Spontaneous Pneumothorax Mimicking Lung Herniation
Brandon L Walker1, Joshua Boster2, Azfar S Syed3
1Pulmonary and Critical Care, San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium, San Antonio, USA.
Cureus
|August 14, 2020
Summary
Severe COPD patients face risks like lung herniation and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP). This case highlights an SSP mimicking lung herniation in a COPD patient post-surgery, treated successfully with talc pleurodesis.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Thoracic Surgery
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a higher risk of pulmonary complications.
- Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) and lung herniation are known risks in COPD patients.
- Prior thoracic surgery can increase the risk of these complications.
Observation:
- A 66-year-old female with severe COPD and a history of left upper lobectomy presented with a painful, respiration-varying anterior chest wall mass.
- The clinical presentation was initially suggestive of lung herniation.
- Diagnostic workup revealed secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) that mimicked lung herniation.
Findings:
- The patient had severe COPD and a history of thoracic surgery.
- An anterior chest wall mass, varying with respiration, was observed.
- The mass was diagnosed as secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP), not lung herniation.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering SSP in COPD patients with chest wall masses, especially post-thoracic surgery.
- It highlights a rare presentation where SSP mimics lung herniation.
- Talc pleurodesis can be an effective treatment for SSP in patients who are poor surgical candidates.
Keywords:
chest tubechronic obstructive pulmonary diseasesecondary spontaneous pneumothoraxtalc pleurodesisMore Related Videos
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