Definition:
In medicine (pulmonology), a pneumothorax, or collapsed lung, is a potential medical emergency caused by accumulation of air or gas in the pleural cavity, arising as a result of disease or injury, or spontaneously.
Diagnosis:
Pneumothorax is most aften diagnosed using a chest xray, though other tests are sometimes performed, such as CT scan and blood tests.
Treatment:
If the patient has had more than one pneumothorax, he may have treatments to prevent further recurrences. The most common is a surgical procedure known as video-assisted thoracoscopy, which uses small incisions and a tiny video camera to guide the surgery.
Symptoms and Signs:
If only a small amount of air enters the pleural space, there may be few signs or symptoms, though even a minimally collapsed lung is likely to cause some chest pain. When the lung has collapsed 25 percent or more, one is likely to experience: sudden, sharp chest pain on the same side as the affected lung; shortness of breath, which may be more or less severe, depending on how much of the lung is collapsed; a feeling of tightness in the chest; and a rapid heart rate.
Causes:
Primary spontaneous pneumothorax is thought to occur when a small air blister (bleb) on the lung ruptures. Blebs are caused by a weakness in the lung tissue and can rupture from changes in air pressure when one goes scuba diving, flying, mountain climbing or, according to some reports, listening to extremely loud music.
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