[A case of spontaneous hemopneumothorax occurred after thoracic drainage]

A 21-year-old man; complaining of left chest pain and dyspnea, was admitted to our hospital with a diagnosis of spontaneous pneumothorax. Though chest X-ray on admission did not show hemothorax, chest drainage revealed intrapleural bleeding. As chest X-ray on the following day showed evident fluid level, emergency operation was carried out with a diagnosis of spontaneous hemopneumothorax. Bleeding point was a ruptured vessel between parietal pleura and bulla in apex of lung. The bulla was resected following hemostasis. After improvement of complicating postoperative re-expansive pulmonary edema, the patient was discharged on the 18th postoperative day. On treatment of spontaneous hemopneumothorax, existence of such a case as ours should be taken into account.