Pneumothorax
Key points
- A pneumothorax is commonly known as a collapsed lung.
- Your doctor may suspect pneumothorax if you suddenly develop shortness of breath or chest pain, especially if you have had trauma to the chest.
- Once the cause of pneumothorax is treated, a collapsed lung usually will return to normal within 48 to 72 hours.
- Quitting smoking can reduce your risk of developing the types of lung disease associated with pneumothorax.
What Is It?
A pneumothorax is commonly known as a collapsed lung. Normally, the outer surface of the lung sits next to the inner surface of the chest wall. Thin membranes called pleura cover both surfaces. A pneumothorax occurs when air escapes from the lungs or leaks through the chest wall and enters the space between the two membranes (pleural cavity). As air builds up, it causes the nearby lung to collapse.
Most cases of pneumothorax result from an injury to the lungs or chest wall, such as:
- A penetrating injury, such as a knife or gunshot wound
- Blunt trauma from a fall or car accident
- Medical procedures, such as removal of fluid from the pleural cavity with a needle (thoracentesis) or a lung biopsy
Occasionally, a collapsed lung can occur without any direct injury to the lung or chest. This is called a spontaneous pneumothorax. Often, this results from lung damage caused by diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis and pneumonia. It is particularly common in emphysema, which causes air-filled sacs, called blebs, to form. When a bleb bursts, air is released into the pleural cavity, triggering a pneumothorax. A spontaneous pneumothorax also can develop in people who don't have any obvious lung disease. It's most common in tall, thin men between the ages of 20 and 40, and is much more common in smokers. Some people who don't have any obvious lung disease have blebs that can rupture and cause this type of spontaneous pneumothorax.
Another type of collapsed lung called tension pneumothorax sometimes occurs when a growing air pocket causes increased pressure within the pleural cavity. This collapses the nearby lung and can push the heart and major blood vessels to the unaffected side of the chest. This movement, called a mediastinal shift, can cause a life-threatening drop in blood pressure. Tension pneumothorax most commonly occurs in people with penetrating chest injuries. It also occurs in people on ventilators or those who have undergone cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Pneumothorax occurs in about nine of every 100,000 people each year.
Symptoms
Symptoms of pneumothorax include:
- Sudden shortness of breath
- Painful breathing
- Sharp chest pain, often on one side
- Chest tightness
- Dry, hacking cough
- Bluish color skin (because of a lack of oxygen)
- Engorgement of the neck veins (in tension pneumothorax)
- Low blood pressure or shock (in tension pneumothorax)
- Rapid heartbeat
Diagnosis
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
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