Abstract
Opaque lungs subsequent to artificial pneumothorax; 53 cases of opacification of upper lobes (group L), 43 cases of opacification of more than one lobe (group M), 2 cases of opacification of lower lobes, and 19 cases of partial opacification of lower lobes; were investigated.
Results were as follows:
A) Group L and M:
Time from the start of pneumothorax to the development of opacification: Opacification occurred within one month in 43% of both groups, and within six months in 86%. Classification by duration were made: continued, vanished, and inconstant groups. There were 15% of empyem in continued group, 14% in vanished group, and 0% in inconstant group.
The longer duration gave larger tendency to empuem and cavity closure.
The early opacificated lung had the tendency of long-standing and moderate or marked retention of effusion. Empyem occurred within six months subsequent to opacification in all cases.
In the form of opacification of upper lobe, there were trinεngle form, mixed form, and round form. Sputum conversion and cavity closure were of best results in the triangle form, sometimes of good results in the mixed form, and of worse results in the round form. Effusion occurred in 81% of triangle form, in 71% of mixed form, and in 66% of round form, however, empyem showed no remarkable differences among three forms.
In the patients who showed mediastinal shift, opacification occurred in 53%, within one month, and 100%, within six months.
Most patients showed fair or poor collapse.
B) Qpacification of lower lobe and partial opacification of lower lobe: In both groups, 90% of the cases had no findings in their lower lobes.
36% of lower opaque lobes and 67% of partial opacification of the lower lobes had lapsed more than 6 months from the induction of pneumothorax to the opacification.
The ratio of effusion was 78% in both groups altogether.
