title: Rapid increase in the height and width of the upper chest in adolescents with primary spontaneous pneumothorax.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We determined the chest height in a cohort of patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) who had received chest radiographic examinations prior to the attack. The aim of this study was to determine when their chest height began to change and how this was related to the PSP.
  
  
  METHODS
  From June 2009 to February 2012, the chest posteroanterior radiographs of 156 patients with PSP (Group 1) were reviewed. Among another 3134 patients with PSP, we identified 52 patients who had a chest posteroanterior radiograph prior to the attack (Group 2). We also recruited 196 controls for comparison (Group 3). The chest height and chest width at different levels were measured and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before 14 years of age, the chest height of patients in Group 2 was no different from that of patients in Group 3. By the age of 14 years, however, the chest height and upper chest width of patients with PSP was significantly higher than that of the normal controls. The difference from normal chest height did not increase at adulthood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rapid increase in chest height and upper chest width is a unique finding in patients with PSP. It might be attributable to the occurrence of PSP. This finding may also help to identify patients who are at risk of PSP.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address: pyjchang@cgmh.org.tw.
authors.forename: Pei-Yeh
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kin-Sun
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jin-Yao
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jeng-Chang
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Veteran General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tai-Wai
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ke-Chi
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chao-Jan
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Resources Center for Clinical Research, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chee-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Nien-Lu
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011859:Radiography; D035441:Thoracic Wall / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adolescents; anthropometry; primary spontaneous pneumothorax; radiography; thoracic wall