Spontaneous pneumothorax associated with primary lung cancer: a retrospective study

Abstract

Abstract Background The occurrence of spontaneous pneumothorax in primary lung cancer patients is infrequent. No exact theory could explain its mechanism of association. It could be either a primary manifestation or a late complication of primary lung cancer. The aim of this study is to analyze the association of the spontaneous pneumothorax with the primary lung cancer. Results A retrospective revision of patients’ files that presented with spontaneous pneumothorax and admitted at the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department during the period between January 2000 and January 2018 was done. Twenty-three patients were included in this study. Seventy-four percent of them were males (n = 17). Age ranged between 48 and 77 years (62.3 ± 7.3 years). Twelve patients (52%) were known to have advanced primary lung cancer, while seven patients (30%) had SPnx as a primary presentation for the primary lung cancer that was discovered during radiological assessment for SPnx. The remaining four patients had SPnx and were treated via surgery. In three of them, bullectomy and pleurodesis was performed; the postoperative histo-pathological examination of excised bullae revealed a primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). While in one patient, who had bullectomy, the primary lung cancer was discovered accidently during surgery. Conclusion Pneumothorax as a first manifestation for lung cancer is infrequent. Its relation to the prognosis has not been yet clear. Recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax in old, heavy smoker patient, or emphysema patient should raise the suspicion for the possibility of association of lung carcinoma.