title: Catamenial pneumothorax and endometriosis-related pneumothorax: clinical features and risk factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Catamenial pneumothorax and thoracic endometriosis (TE) are still under diagnosed. The purpose of this study is to increase the diagnostic accuracy for these conditions in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax and to identify their risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective study on all consecutive women of reproductive age referred to our Centre for surgical treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax between July 2000 and January 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study population comprised 156 premenopausal women of whom 49 (31.4%) had catamenial and/or TE-related pneumothorax. Over a quarter of these 49 patients had a previous history of recurrent thoracic or scapular catamenial pain. They experienced their first pneumothorax episode at an older age (mean ± SD) (34.0 years ± 6.7) than women with idiopathic pneumothorax (28.7 ± 6.1 years, P < 0.001). Pelvic endometriosis was found in 51% of women with catamenial and/or TE-related pneumothorax. After adjustment for confounding factors by multiple logistic regression analysis, the results show that, infertility [odd ratio (OR) = 4.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.28-13.88] and a history of pelvic surgery with a uterine procedure and/or uterine scraping (OR = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.12-7.26) were the strongest predictors of catamenial and/or TE-related pneumothorax.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infertility and uterine procedures are significantly associated with catamenial and/or TE-related pneumothorax. Scapular or thoracic pain during menses often precedes the occurrence of pneumothorax and is highly specific for the diagnosis of TE. Our results suggest that in women with pelvic endometriosis, these symptoms should be systematically investigated for an earlier diagnosis of TE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Endocrinology, Université Paris Descartes, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Hôtel Dieu, 75181 Paris Cedex 4, France. anne.gompel@htd.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rousset-Jablonski
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alifano
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Plu-Bureau
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Camilleri-Broet
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rousset
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Regnard
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gompel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000150:complications; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014599:Uterus / Q000601:surgery