Spindle cell sarcoma: a rare cause of a spontaneous pneumothorax

Secondary spontaneous pneumothoraces are associated with a variety of lung disorders. Malignancy is a rare cause of a pneumothorax and rarely the presenting feature. Cavitating primary tumours are less frequent causes of pneumothoraces than secondary tumours. We present the case of an asymptomatic spontaneous pneumothorax in a 71-year-old never-smoking woman. Her right apical pneumothorax was diagnosed by chance on a chest radiograph for a fall. Her final diagnosis was a primary spindle cell sarcoma of the pleura. This case demonstrates the need to explore the underlying causes of a non-resolving pneumothorax. The early diagnosis of her sarcoma allowed curative treatment.