Presentation
Recurrent left pneumothorax
Patient Data
Age: 20 years
Gender: Female
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Left sided pneumothorax.
CXR after recurrent chest pain
From the case:
Pneumothorax due to apical blebs - surgically treated
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Recurring left-sided pneumothorax, this time with apparent small apical air-filled blebs (arrows).
CXR following bleb excision
From the case:
Pneumothorax due to apical blebs - surgically treated
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Given the repeated episodes, surgical excision was undertaken with a line of surgical staples (arrows) traversing the left apex at the site of the excised blebs.
Case Discussion
Recurrent (non-traumatic) pneumothorax in young people is often due to apical blebs that rupture spontaneously.