A case of a 13-year-old male with simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax developing into acute respiratory failure

Abstract

Simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax is rare and most reported cases are not serious. A 13-year-old male with dyspnea and wheezing was diagnosed with asthma at another hospital; however, dyspnea deteriorated. The next day, he visited the pediatrics department of our hospital. A chest radiograph showed a bilateral pneumothorax with a completely collapsed right lung and 50% collapse of the left lung. When he came to our department, his respiration was shallow and cyanosis was observed in spite of oxygen therapy. Chest tubes were immediately inserted, and his oxygenation recovered. Chest computed tomography demonstrated blebs in the upper lobes of both lungs. We performed bilateral bullectomy by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).