Abstract
Sixty eight episodes in 59 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax have been reviewed clinically during about five years in KINKI-CHUO-BYOIN.
1. The sex distribution is predominant in male about 5 times than females. Most patients with this disease are seen in the age of twenties followed by sixties and show a type of two peaks.
The patients with this disease are divided into 2 groups according to whether they have chronic pulmonary diseases or not. The patients who have chronic pulmonary diseases make 2 peaks in the age of thirties and sixties. Another group which may be called idiopathic group showed 1 peak in the twenties.
2. The recurrent pneumothorax occurred in 23 patients (36%), of which 10 patients were below the age of 40 years old and this showed 70% of all patients with recurrent pneumothorax. Both side affected in 9 patients (15%).
3. The etiology of 30 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax was identified by the rupture of bullae or bleb, because part of them were seen on a series of chest X-ray.
Another was found during the operation.
4. The seasonal incidence had a tendency to increase in late fall and winter.
5. As a way of approach to detect causative factors of this disease, we evaluate urinary 17 OHCS, electrophoresis of serum protein and immunoglobulin. We got the result of Ig-M depression in 12 cases with exception of 2 cases who were suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis. This suggest that the patients with this disease show decrease in immunological abillity in natural humoral results immunity.
Further examination and evaluation for this trial should be needed for detection of the etiology of spontaneous pneumothorax.
