CASE REPORT   

Chirurgia 2021 August;34(4):185-8

DOI: 10.23736/S0394-9508.20.05162-1

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax in adolescents: a single-center retrospective case series

Ali SAYAN ¹, Tunç ÖZDEMIR ¹, Mehmet MERT ¹ ✉, Gökhan KÖYLÜOĞLU ²

¹ Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tepecik Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey; ² Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Katip Celebi, Izmir, Turkey

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is usually seen in healthy young people without lung disease. It is a rare pathology in the pediatric age group. The objective of this study to discuss the follow-up and therapeutic options of the patients with spontaneous pneumothorax. Medical records of the patients with PSP between January 2010 and December 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. Demographics, recurrence rates, therapeutic options and follow-up data were recorded. During the time period stated above, 12 patients with PSP were treated. Mean age of the patients was 15. All patients were undergone tube thoracostomy (TT) primarily. Nine patients were treated with primary chest tube insertion. A patient with 1.85 m (>97 p) of height and 55 kg (10-25 p) weight of developed pneumothorax twice in the early period and was treated with repeated TTs. In a patient with 1.88 m (>97 p) height and 58 kg (10-25 p) weight, pneumothorax was repeated three times and VATS (video-assisted thoracic surgery) with mechanical pleurodesis was applied and pneumothorax of this patient did not recur. Respiratory distress is commonly seen in patients with highest ratio of pneumothorax. TT is mostly therapeutic. It was thought that the duration of TT could be longer in patients with a length of more than 97 p and weight less than 25 p, during which time negative aspiration may be needed and pneumothorax may recur. In recurrent cases, TT should be tried first. Pleurodesis with VATS is required in persistent recurrences and in cases that cannot be treated by TT.

KEY WORDS: Adolescent; Pneumothorax; Thoracostomy