Use of endobronchial one-way valves reveals questions on etiology of spontaneous pneumothorax: report of three cases

Spontaneous pneumothoraces are believed to arise when air from the supplying airway exit via a ruptured visceral pleural bleb into the pleural cavity. Endobronchial one-way valves (EBVs) allow air exit (but not entry) from individual segmental airways. Systematic deployment of EBVs was applied to three patients with secondary spontaneous pneumothoraces and persistent airleak. In all cases, balloon-catheter occlusion of the upper lobe bronchus stopped the airleak. EBVs applied to individual upper lobe segmental airways failed to terminate the airleak, which only stopped after placements of multiple EBVs to occlude all upper lobe segments. The observation questions the traditional belief of 'one-airway-one-bleb-one-leak' in spontaneous pneumothorax.     

Pleural abrasion in the treatment of recurrent or persistent spontaneous pneumothorax. Results of 94 consecutive cases.

In the ten-year period 1982 to 1991, 94 patients underwent pleural abrasion as definite treatment for spontaneous pneumothorax. Surgical indications included: 1) third recurrence of homolateral pneumothorax, 2) second recurrence of homolateral pneumothorax in the presence of alternating pneumothorax, and 3) persistent air leak with incomplete lung re-expansion in the presence of spontaneous pneumothorax treated with pleural drainage for more than 10 days. No deaths were observed in the present series. Post-operative complications were minimal and all reversible, including two cases of pleural effusion, one case of hemothorax, and one case of Horner's syndrome. Eighty cases were followed up from 7 to 91 months. No recurrences occurred during the follow-up period. Clinical, radiological and functional results appear satisfactory. Pleural abrasion seems to represent a valid surgical option in the treatment of recurrent or persistent spontaneous pneumothorax.     

Fibrin glue. A new treatment technic in persistent recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax

The treatment of choice in idiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax is continuous suction drainage by chest tube for 8--10 days. If this method is not successful, i.e., in patients with a persistent or recurrent pneumothorax, an attempt can be made to produce local pleural adhesions by means of a special fibrin glue, especially in patients with poor general condition. This fibrin glue pleurodesis was performed successfully in seven patients, four of them having a persistent, two a recurrent, and one an iatrogenic pneumothorax. Six of them are now, 3--10 months after therapy, without a recurrence and free of discomfort. One patient died 6 days after treatment from a cerebral stroke. Autopsy showed fibrinous adhesions in the area of the upper lobe. Good tissue compatibility was confirmed histologically.     

ENDOSURGICAL TREATMENT FOR SPONTANEOUS PNEUMOTHORAX

When spontaneous pneumothorax is recurrent or persistent, an open pleurodesis with excision or ligation of the bullae is the procedure of choice but can lead to significant morbidity. Thorascopic surgery for the management of spontaneous pneumothorax was first introduced in 1937 but this has become a useful technique only since the introduction of video-controlled thorascopic surgery and the availability of suitable endothoracic instrumentation. A review was made of nine patients having endosurgery for recurrent (six) or persistent (three) pneumothorax. At surgery the bullae were ligated with an endoloop (four) or excluded with an endostapler (five). Pleurodesis was obtained by a combination of strip pleurectomy, diathermy and installation of an alcohol iodine solution. The early results are similar to those following an open operation with considerably reduced hospital stay and morbidity.     

Lung cancer associated with bulla found during an operation of pneumothorax; report of a case

A 50-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of dyspnea. His chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) showed right pneumothorax and multiple bullae. His pneumothorax was drained with a chest tube, however, because of a persistent air leak, bullectomy was performed 18 days after the occurrence of pneumothorax. Intraoperatively, we found a palpable tumor in the bulla approximately 10 mm in diameter and resected it with the bullae. Histologically, the tumor was diagnosed as a large cell carcinoma.     

Video-assisted direct closure of bronchial fistula

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a well-established method for managing persistent air leak in spontaneous pneumothorax. We describe a case of complicated spontaneous secondary pneumothorax in a patient with bullous emphysema that was treated by video-assisted manual suture of the bronchial fistula at the end of the right upper bronchus.     

Endobronchial valve migration

Endobronchial valves are increasingly used as a treatment modality as a less invasive alternative to lung volume reduction surgery in patients with severe emphysema. Endobronchial valves have also been used to treat patients with persistent pulmonary air leaks and those with bronchopleural fistulae. We report a case of a 61-year-old male with severe bullous emphysema. Following video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and giant bullectomy, he had a persistent air leak. We inserted two endobronchial valves (in the lingular lobe and the anterior segment of the upper lobe) and the air leak ceased immediately. However, over the subsequent 5 months following the insertion of the endobronchial valves, the patient suffered recurrent chest infections and the endobronchial valves were found to have migrated to the orifice of the basal segment of the left lower lobe and the orifice of the basal segments of the right lower lobe.     

Videothoracoscopic surgical approach for spontaneous pneumothorax: review of the pertinent literature

Spontaneous pneumothorax is usually caused by the rupture of subpleural blebs/bullae in the underlying lung and is one of the most common elective applications of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). VATS has been used as an alternative to thoracotomy in the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. Recurrent pneumothorax and persistent air leakage are quite often indications for spontaneous pneumothorax, and bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax is also considered to be an indication for surgical intervention. The goals of surgical intervention are to eliminate intrapleural air collection and prevent recurrence. Diverse procedures have been reported in the surgical treatment for spontaneous pneumothorax. We review the literature regarding the VATS approach for spontaneous pneumothorax.     

Endobronchial valves for treatment of bronchopleural fistula

Endobronchial valves have recently emerged as a possible alternative to lung volume reduction surgery to treat incapacitating emphysema. The early experience with placement of these valves has been shown to be safe, with short-term improvements of quality of life in this patient population. We report a case in which these valves were used to treat a patient with a persistent air leak.     

Anaesthesia for thoracoscopic pleurectomy and ligation of bullae

A patient is described who, despite severe pre-operative respiratory disability, had her persistent pneumothorax successfully managed by thoracoscopic pleurectomy. The technique causes considerably less pain and interference with respiratory function postoperatively than does conventional thoracotomy. Potential anaesthetic problems arise because of the necessity of insufflating carbon dioxide at pressures of up to 1 kPa to maintain a pneumothorax during surgery.     

Persistent pneumothorax treated with continuous positive airway pressure

A patient who presented with persistent pneumothorax after blunt chest trauma is described. The lung re-expanded partially in response to chest drain suction but some areas remained collapsed. The institution of continuous positive airway pressure on an intermittent basis, was followed by complete re-expansion of the lung and resolution of the pneumothorax.     

Timing of invasive procedures in therapy for primary and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax

Timing of invasive procedures during chest tube therapy in spontaneous pneumothorax is undefined. Evaluation of 115 patients with primary and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax treated with tube thoracostomy revealed nearly maximal healing rates after 48 hours without a relevant increase if drainage was maintained for up to 10 days. In secondary spontaneous pneumothorax, a significantly lower healing rate was observed after 48 hours compared with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (60% vs 82%). Therapeutic success was not predictable by single clinical variables available at admission (eg, age, gender, and smoking habits) nor by their combinations. Recurrence rates were 30% in both primary and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax. Hospital stay averaged 6 days in primary and 15 days in secondary spontaneous pneumothorax. Considering their efficacy and the low incidence of complications, the early use of invasive procedures such as surgical pleurectomy, after 48 hours of persistent gas leaking, seems justified. Shorter in-patient care and lower recurrence rates may result.     

Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for treatment of bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax

Bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax is a rare but serious cause of respiratory distress. We treated a 77-year-old male with severe hypoxia caused by bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax using video-assisted thoracoscopic bullectomy assisted by a venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) device. The patient came to the emergency department of our hospital with complaints of cough and dyspnea, and was hospitalized with right-side spontaneous pneumothorax and left-side pneumonia. After 12 days, a chest radiograph was performed to investigate persistent progressive shortness of breath at rest, which demonstrated contralateral pneumothorax. A chest tube was inserted into the left pleural cavity, and surgery was performed for bilateral pneumothorax by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) assisted by venovenous ECMO. Gas exchange was satisfactory throughout the surgical procedure and the postoperative course was uneventful without complications. Venovenous ECMO was effective for facilitation of VATS and reduced the risk of an intra-operative hypoxic condition.     

Tension pneumothorax complicating autologous "blood patch" pleurodesis

Autologous "blood patching" has been used successfully for the treatment of persistent air leak in patients with spontaneous secondary pneumothorax. The case history is presented of a 19 year old woman with cystic fibrosis who developed tension pneumothorax following this procedure, with rapid clinical deterioration until the obstruction was cleared. To avoid this potentially fatal complication we recommend that "blood patch" pleurodesis be performed only through large bore intercostal catheters, that blood is rapidly transferred into the catheter tubing, a sterile saline flush and full resuscitation equipment is available, and the operator is skilled in the management of tension pneumothorax.     

Pleural abrasion: a new method of pleurodesis.

Sixty patients (48 male, 12 female; median age 32 (range 16-72) years) underwent pleural abrasion for persistent or recurrent pneumothorax. Fifty patients had recurrent pneumothorax and 10 persistence of a first pneumothorax despite conservative treatment; two had bilateral pneumothoraces. Pleural abrasion was carried out with a domestic nylon scouring pad and blebs or bullae were ligated or stapled and excised. Intercostal drainage was discontinued after a median time of two days, median serosanguinous loss was 250 ml, and the median postoperative stay in hospital was four days. During the median follow up period of 32 (range 19-52) months pneumothorax has recurred in one patient.     

Occurrence of a simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax due to a pleuro-pleural communication

Herein we present a case of a simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax caused by a pleuro-pleural communication. A 70-year-old man with a history of esophagectomy presented with dyspnea. A chest roentgenogram revealed a bilateral pneumothorax and bilateral chest drainage procedures were performed. A left bullectomy was also performed 3 days later due to persistent air leakage on the left side. During surgery, a small fistula was detected in the anterior mediastinal pleura and was found to be in communication with the bilateral pleural spaces.     

Pneumothorax in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Case histories of 25 consecutive patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in whom pneumothorax developed from January 1985 to the present are reviewed. Spontaneous pneumothorax developed in 10 patients. All patients had a documented pulmonary infection. Four of 10 died, either of progressive respiratory failure or of concurrent infection. Patients with asymptomatic spontaneous pneumothorax can be safely observed. Patients with symptomatic pneumothorax should initially undergo tube thoracostomy. If an air leak persists, thoracotomy, stapling of blebs, and pleurodesis can be safely performed. Because of the prevalence of bilateral disease, a median sternotomy incision is recommended. Two patients underwent surgical treatment. Diffuse bullous disease associated with infiltration of lung parenchyma by Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was identified in both. Both patients survived and were discharged. Patients whose pneumothorax developed while they were undergoing mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure induced by Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia had a 92.3% mortality rate. In all patients surviving for longer than 7 days after development of the initial pneumothorax, a contralateral pneumothorax later developed. Severe concurrent disease made the patients poor operative candidates. However, in the absence of concurrent illness, if a persistent large air leak is believed to contribute significantly to respiratory failure, surgical intervention may be indicated.     

Chronic spontaneous pneumothorax due solely to a pleurovisceral membrane. A case report.

The case of a 28-year-old male with a neglected and protracted spontaneous pneumothorax is reported. The condition was diagnosed 45 days after the onset of symptoms. The affected lung had completely collapsed and was unexpandable. Subsequent thoracotomy revealed a firm membrane covering the visceral pleura as the sole explanation of the persistent pulmonary collapse. This variety of chronic pneumothorax seems to be rare. The lung expanded completely after decortication.     

Pneumothorax in association with spontaneous ventilation general anaesthesia--an unusual cause of hypoxaemia

A 43-year-old ASA PS II male patient developed a pneumothorax while breathing pontaneously through a supraglottic airway device during a general anaesthetic. Unexplained hypoxaemia occurred after an episode of coughing. Clinical examination appeared to be normal apart from the persistent oxygen desaturation. A pneumothorax was diagnosed in the post anaesthesia care unit by chest X-ray. The pneumothorax responded to conventional management and the patient made an uneventful recovery. We recommend a high index of suspicion in any patient who coughs and later has unexplained hypoxaemia during general anaesthesia, even if a supraglottic airway device has been inserted.     

Parietal pleurectomy for recurrent pneumothorax.

One hundred patients with persistent or recurrent pneumothorax treated by parietal pleurectomy are described. There was one known recurrence and no postoperative deaths. Six patients required further surgery for complications. In the uncomplicated cases the average stay in hospital following operation was 11-5 days. Parietal pleurectomy should be regarded as the treatment of choice for patients with recurrent pneumothorax who are fit to undergo surgery.