title: Catamenial pneumothorax due to bilateral pulmonary endometriosis.
abstract: Co-existence of catamenial pneumothorax and hemoptysis is rare. We present a case of catamenial pneumothorax due to bilateral pulmonary endometriosis in a 45-year-old woman. The patient presented with a 3-year history of intermittent productive cough with blood-tinged sputum, chronic  anemia, loss of appetite, and general weakness associated with menstruation. Three years prior to this presentation the patient had undergone a sigmoidectomy as treatment for endometriosis of the sigmoid colon with bleeding. Chest radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scan revealed multiple  nodules in both lung parenchyma and recurrent pneumothorax. CT-guided biopsy revealed chronic inflammation of those pulmonary nodules, and laboratory studies disclosed elevated serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) and CA 125. Thoracoscopic wedge resection of the  pulmonary nodules was performed, and histopathological examination of the resected nodules revealed endometriosis. At one-year follow-up there was no evidence of recurrence of gastrointestinal bleeding or pneumothorax.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsin-Yuan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Chia-Ing
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: Chien-Kuang
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: William Tzu-Liang
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D055613:Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen