title: Role of chest CT scan in determining etiology of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spontaneous pneumothorax occurs subsequent to a disruption in the continuity of visceral pleura and escape of air into pleural space. It is usually difficult, sometimes impossible to detect evidence of pulmonary pathology by clinical or conventional radiographic methods. Computed tomography provides additional informations not obtainable with conventional diagnostic modalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  To determine the role of CT scan in the aetiological diagnosis and subsequent management of patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax, a perspective study was undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 40 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax with normal skiagram chest after management of pneumothorax, were included in the study. In 75% of these cases, CT revealed underlying lung pathology as a cause for primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows that CT scan is a useful imaging modality in determining the aetiology of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest and Tuberculosis, Pt. B.D. Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tandon
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sindhwani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanwar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed