Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 28, 2026

Laparoscopic Anterior Right Hepatectomy: A Single-Center Experience
Published on: December 4, 2023
An Unusual Case of Spontaneous Pneumothorax Presenting as Right Lower Quadrant Pain: A Case Report
Timothy P Crowe1, Patrick P Cheatle1
1St. Luke's Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Introduction:
Primary spontaneous pneumothorax generally presents with symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath. Progression to a tension pneumothorax results in a medical emergency. Rare presentations with abdominal pain are possible and must be considered to expedite appropriate treatment of pneumothorax.
Case Report:
We report a case of a 21-year-old male with primary spontaneous pneumothorax who initially presented to the emergency department with right lower quadrant abdominal pain. History and physical exam were suggestive of acute appendicitis. A large right pneumothorax was incidentally found on computed tomography.
Conclusion:
This case highlights unusual presentations of pneumothorax. Emergency physicians should consider atypical presentations of chest pathology such as pneumothorax in patients presenting with symptoms consistent with an acute abdomen.
Related Concept Videos
Pneumothorax-II
Clinical Manifestations:
Abdominal Regions and Quadrants
The simpler quadrants approach, which is more commonly used in medicine, subdivides the cavity with one horizontal and one vertical line that intersects at the patient's umbilicus (navel). The four quadrants...
Pneumothorax-I
Pneumothorax can be even further classified as spontaneous, traumatic, and tension pneumothorax.
Pneumothorax II: Pathophysiology
Appendicitis-I: Introduction
Etiology: Appendicitis can arise from various causes, primarily rooted in the obstruction of the appendix lumen. Factors contributing to this obstruction include fecal accumulation, lymphoid hyperplasia and, in...
Aneurysm II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies