title: A new simple method to detect an air-leaking lung field in pneumothorax by a flexible bronchofiberscope.
abstract: A new simple method was designed to detect an air-leaking lung field in refractory pneumothorax. A constant volume of 100% helium gas was introduced into each lobe bronchus of two patients with pneumothorax via a flexible bronchofiberscope. In both patients, only when helium gas was introduced into the communicating bronchus with a ruptured emphysematous bullae, a high concentration of helium was detected in the intrathoracic gas. Thoracotomy has been used for patients with pneumothorax in which an air-leakage has persistently as well as recurrently continued, but this therapeutical approach has been frequently limited by a patient-age and an underlying disease. An exact detecting of the site of air leakage makes much expectant of an effectiveness of the outlet-closing treatment under a thoracoscope and finally leads to a new transbronchial treatment of pneumothorax.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy