Germ cell tumors complicated by pneumothorax

Spontaneous pneumothorax is an unusual consequence of pulmonary metastases. This complication occurs mainly in children and adolescents with primary osseous sarcomas and is extremely rare in patients with pulmonary metastases secondary to carcinomas. Germ cell tumors have a proclivity to metastasize to the lung, but few instances of pneumothorax have been recorded. The authors present 3 cases of pneumothorax secondary to pulmonary metastases from germ cell tumors, both gonadal and extragonadal in type.