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Massive spontaneous hemopneumothorax complicating rheumatoid lung disease.

Basoglu A, Celik B, Yetim TD

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ondokuz Mayis University, Medical School, Samsun, Turkey.

Spontaneous hemopneumothorax is characterized by an accumulation of air and blood in the pleural space without any apparent cause. Massive spontaneous hemopneumothorax is a rare, life-threatening situation and requires an operation in the early stage. The most common manifestation of rheumatoid disease in the lung is pleural disease. This can occur with or without pleural effusion. Hemopneumothorax is very rarely seen as the pulmonary manifestations of rheumatoid disease. We present a case of massive spontaneous hemopneumothorax in a young patient with rheumatoid lung disease as an unusual complication.

Published 26 March 2007 in Ann Thorac Surg, 83(4): 1521-3.
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