Spontaneous pneumothorax complicating chemotherapy for metastatic seminoma. A case report and a review of the literature.
BACKGROUND
Spontaneous pneumothorax complicating chemotherapy has been reported mainly in metastatic sarcoma, particularly of the osteogenic type. The main factor in the etiology of spontaneous pneumothorax could be related to tumor lysis and/or rapid rupture of chemosensitive peripheral or subpleural metastasis into the pleural cavity, thus leading to a bronchopleural fistula.


RESULTS
A 49-year-old patient in whom spontaneous pneumothorax developed after successful chemotherapy for metastatic seminoma is described. On chest tube drainage, the lung reexpanded rapidly and the patient became clinically and radiographically symptom free.


CONCLUSIONS
To the authors' knowledge, this is only the second case of spontaneous pneumothorax complicating chemotherapy-induced rapid regression of lung and mediastinal metastases in patients with seminoma. Spontaneous pneumothorax should be included in the spectrum of chemotherapy-related side effects in chemosensitive solid tumors with lung metastases.
Stein
M E
ME
Northern Israel Oncology Center, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa.
Haim
N
N
Drumea
K
K
Ben-Itzhak
O
O
Kuten
A
A
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009919:Orchiectomy; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D011859:Radiography; D018239:Seminoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery
D001761:Bleomycin; D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin