Pneumothorax

A pneumothorax is air that has leaked into the space between the lung and the chest wall, causing part or all of the lung to collapse. It can happen on its own, but in asbestos patients it is most often a complication of a needle biopsy, a thoracentesis or chest surgery. Small ones may heal without treatment; larger ones need a chest tube.

Origin

The word combines Greek roots for air and chest. French physicians described and named the condition in the early nineteenth century, and the chest tube became standard treatment in the twentieth century.

Significance in Asbestos Context

CT-guided needle biopsies of the lung or pleura and drainage of pleural fluid both carry a known risk of pneumothorax, and doctors usually take a chest X-ray afterward to check. Symptoms include sudden sharp chest pain and shortness of breath. Most cases are small and resolve, but some require a chest tube and a hospital stay. In a person with mesothelioma, a pneumothorax after drainage can also be a sign of trapped lung rather than a leak. Rarely, a pneumothorax is the first sign of a tumor in the pleura. For a claim, a pneumothorax during diagnosis or treatment is part of the harm the disease caused, and the hospital records of the event, the chest tube and any extra days in the hospital help document it.

Example Sentence

The CT-guided biopsy caused a small pneumothorax, and she spent the night in the hospital with a chest tube.

Related Terms

Needle Biopsy, Thoracentesis, Trapped Lung, Pleural Cavity, Atelectasis, Thoracoscopy, Chest X-Ray

Notes

• After a biopsy or drainage, get emergency help for sudden chest pain or worsening shortness of breath.
• Ask for the discharge summary if a pneumothorax kept you in the hospital.
• Ask your doctor about flying or diving after a pneumothorax; there are usually waiting periods.