Idiopathic massive spontaneous hemothorax: adhesion disruption.
BACKGROUND
Hemothorax has been reported to occur along with spontaneous pneumothorax due to adhesion disruption. Rupture of pleural adhesions spontaneously or after unnoticeable trivial trauma causing massive hemothorax alone is rare.


METHODS
We present a series of seven cases of idiopathic massive spontaneous hemothorax due to adhesion disruption, of which all required emergency thoracotomy with ligation or cauterization of bleeding adhesions.


RESULTS
Six patients had bleeding pleural lung adhesions of which five involved the upper lobes. Another had bleeding from pleuropericardial adhesions. All patients are doing well on follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Disruption of pleural adhesions may cause massive hemothorax, requiring early surgical intervention. After thoracotomy the outcome in these patients is excellent.
Singh
Shyam
S
Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Sharma
Mukhand L
ML
Lone
Reyaz A
RA
Wani
Mehmood A
MA
Hussain
Zahur
Z
Mir
Ishtiyaq
I
Vimesh
Puja
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D011859:Radiography; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000150:complications; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000150:complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult