title: Chronic tension pneumothorax mimicking tension bullae. Use of video-assisted thoracoscopy for diagnosis.
abstract: A 48-year-old patient had a lucent right hemithorax and marked mediastinal shift of unknown duration that appeared on a chest radiograph. He was unchanged symptomatically from his baseline status. Video-assisted thoracoscopy was used to distinguish between tension from a giant bulla and a chronic tension pneumothorax.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital, University Medical Center, Boston, Mass.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kupferschmid
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fonger
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Aldea
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vosburgh
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000175:diagnosis; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D014741:Video Recording