High-Resolution CT Following Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax in Adolescents: Useful Tool or Wasted Radiation?

Background The current trend in management of first-time primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) in children is to obtain a high-resolution chest computerized tomography (HRCT) scan to look for bleb/bullae disease or other forms of structural lung disease. We aimed to evaluate the significance of HRCT findings in relation to initial management strategies, and we hypothesized that these findings do not guide management.  Methods We evaluated patients with first-time PSP in a single-institution, retrospective, longitudinal study. Data were obtained through direct chart review. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients who underwent surgical intervention after HRCT. Results We identified 10 children from 10 to 17 years old from January 2013 to November 2019 who met criteria for the study. Seven out of 10 patients (70%) had HRCT after the first-time PSP during the same hospital stay. Blebs/bullae were discovered in five out of seven (71%) of those patients. Two of those five patients had subsequent surgical intervention (40%) before a recurrence. Of the three patients with blebs/bullae identified on HRCT treated without initial surgery, two had a recurrence of PSP and subsequently underwent VATS with blebectomy and pleurodesis. Among the patients without initial HRCT, there were no recurrent cases of PSP noted. Conclusions Our study suggests there is value in obtaining HRCT after the first time PSP, as these results can be used to guide management strategies. Further studies in pediatric PSP are needed to validate the sensitivity of HRCT in bleb detection, the predictive value of bleb disease and recurrence, and the benefits and risks of early surgical intervention.