Pneumothorax

A spontaneous pneumothorax occurs when there is a spontaneous rupture of one of the air sacs in the lung. This most commonly occurs in teenage and 20 year olds who are tall and thin. Certain other conditions such as emphysema and smoking also increase the likelihood of this occurring. 

Those who have had a single episode of spontaneous pneumothorax have a >20% risk of developing a second episode. This risk rises with each subsequent episode.

It would be generally recommended that those who have had two episodes undergo a pleuradesis. This is generally performed via a keyhole approach and would usually involve excision of apical bullae, which is the usual cause of this problem.