Spontaneous pneumothorax in malignancy: a case report and review of the literature.
BACKGROUND
Pneumothorax occurring in the absence of obvious lung disease is defined as spontaneous pneumothorax. Spontaneous pneumothorax occurs in a variety of settings in patients with malignancies.


METHODS
We present a case report of spontaneous pneumothorax in malignancy and review the literature.


RESULTS
No correlation was found between the occurrence of pneumothorax with age, sex or smoking history. Pneumothorax occurred with a variety of primary tumors. However it was always associated with lung metastases or lung involvement with tumor. In certain cases the metastases were detected after the occurrence of pneumothorax.


CONCLUSIONS
The occurrence of pneumothorax in a patient with malignancy should prompt a search for lung metastases.
Srinivas
S
S
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA. srinivas@icon.palo-alto.med.va.gov
Varadhachary
G
G
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012907:Smoking