Spontaneous pneumothorax in children in the South-east of Turkey.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the etiological factors, symptomatology, management and outcome of spontaneous pneumothorax in children aged <15 years.


METHODS
The authors' reviewed the records of 44 children with spontaneous pneumothorax between January 1990 and February 2002.


RESULTS
The median age was 4.6 years (range 2 months-14 years), and 51% were male. Breathlessness and coughing were the most common symptoms. All pneumothoraces were initially managed by closed tube drainage. Thirty-seven (84%) of the children responded well and were cured of pneumothorax with closed tube thoracostomy alone. Seven children (16%) underwent thoracotomy. The median hospital stay was 12.9 days. There were two deaths from respiratory failure. Six- to 96-month follow-up information was available for 32 patients, and only one recurrence was found.


CONCLUSIONS
Lung infections were the most frequently observed underlying pathology in the patients studied. Closed tube thoracostomy alone was sufficient for the majority of patients.
Eren
Sevval
S
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Dicle University Medical School, Diyarbakir, Turkey. sevval@dicle.edu.tr
Gurkan
Fuat
F
Balci
Akin E
AE
Ulku
Refik
R
Onat
Serdar
S
Eren
M Nesimi
MN
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011859:Radiography; D013396:Suction; D013907:Thoracostomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey