Pneumothorax as an initial manifestation of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
METHODS
A sixty-five-year-old man with bullous lung disease was admitted to emergency service with chest pain and dyspnea that developed during sleep. Pneumothorax was diagnosed both clinically and radiologically. After the chest drainage, the patient presented with a prolonged air leak that required thoracotomy. Further history and occurrence of pneumothorax during sleep suggested that obstructive sleep apnea might play a role in the development of pneumothorax. Nocturnal polysomnography later confirmed the diagnosis of severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
We hypothesized that obstructive sleep apnea may be a risk factor for pneumothorax especially in patients with bullous lung disease, and pneumothorax may be listed in the complications of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
Tulek
Baykal
B
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey. baykaltulek@yahoo.com
Kanat
Fikret
F
Yosunkaya
Sebnem
S
Ceran
Sami
S
Suerdem
Mecit
M
D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D017286:Polysomnography; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed