Sudden unexpected death due to spontaneous pneumothorax caused by ruptured bilateral pulmonary bullae

Sudden unexpected death due to pneumothoraces caused by spontaneous rupture of bilateral pulmonary bullae is rare. This article reports the case of a 16-year-old girl who experienced this rare phenomenon without any precipitating factors. The patient did not have a history of chest pains or smoking but experienced chest tightness in the early morning and collapsed and died 4 h later. Autopsy identified the cause of death to be bilateral pneumothoraces and massive bilateral pulmonary collapse (atelectasis) due to ruptured apical bullae of the bilateral lungs. No injuries or other significant pathological findings were identified. A low body mass index (16.5) may have been a risk factor for the spontaneous tension pneumothoraces. In some situations, genetic counseling and testing may be helpful in identifying a heritable process associated with spontaneous pneumothoraces.