Pneumothorax

Etiology

Primary pneumothorax

  • Apical bleb rupture (tall, thin males age 10-30)
Secondary pneumothorax
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ruptured bleb or bulla)
  • Asthma
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Tuberculosis
  • Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP)
  • Menstruation (catamenial pneumothorax)
  • Interstitial lung disease, eg, sarcoidosis, lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), eosinophilic granuloma (Langerhans cell histiocytosis, histiocytosis X)
Tension pneumothorax
  • Penetrating or blunt trauma
  • Lung infection
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
  • Positive-pressure mechanical ventilation
Traumatic or iatrogenic
  • Penetrating or blunt trauma
  • Thoracentesis
  • Pleural biopsy
  • Percutaneous or transbronchial lung
  • Central line placement
  • Positive-pressure mechanical ventilation

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