What is spontaneous pneumothorax? What are the symptoms?

Spontaneous pneumothorax is the accumulation of gas in the pleural cavity due to rupture of the lung parenchyma or visceral pleura without the influence of exogenous or intervening factors. So what are the symptoms of spontaneous pneumothorax?

1. Dyspnea: Patients will experience dyspnea during pneumothorax attack, the severity of which is related to the course of the attack, the degree of lung compression and the original lung function status. Young patients with normal respiratory function may not have obvious dyspnea. Even if the lungs are compressed by >80%, they may only feel slight chest tightness during activities. However, elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary emphysema may have obvious dyspnea even if the lungs are slightly compressed. In acute pneumothorax, the symptoms may be more obvious, while in chronic pneumothorax, the healthy lung can compensatory expand and the clinical symptoms may be milder.

2. Chest pain often occurs suddenly when pneumothorax occurs, with sharp stabbing and cutting pain. It has nothing to do with the sudden rupture of the bullae and the degree of lung compression, but may be related to increased pressure in the pleural cavity and stretching of the parietal pleura. The location of pain is uncertain and may be confined to the chest, or it may radiate to the shoulders, back, and upper abdomen. When significant mediastinal emphysema is present, persistent retrosternal pain may occur. Pain is the most common complaint of patients with pneumothorax and, in mild cases, may be the only symptom.

3. Irritating cough Spontaneous pneumothorax occasionally causes an irritating cough.

4. Other symptoms When pneumothorax is combined with hemothorax, if the amount of bleeding is heavy, the patient will experience palpitations, low blood pressure, cold limbs, etc.

The recurrence rate of spontaneous pneumothorax after the first attack is 50%. 90% of recurrences occur on the side where the disease previously occurred. After the second attack, the recurrence rate increases to 80%. Risk factors for recurrence are a history of more than two pneumothorax episodes, giant cysts on chest X-ray, and an increased height-to-weight ratio.