Abstract
Thirty patients over 60 years of age with spontaneous pneumothorax were admitted to our hospital from 1977 to 1988. They represented 15.3% of the total number of patients with spontaneous pneumothorax. The age range was 61-83 (average 69.5 years); 29 were male and only one was female. Of the 29 with unilateral pneumothorax, 12 were operated on with a standard thoracotomy and 17 cases with conservative drainage. One patient had bilateral pneumothorax and was treated with a one-stage operation through a median sternotomy. The chief complaints on admission were dyspnea, cough, chest pain, etc. In treating spontaneous pneumothorax of the aged it is important to consider possible associated diseases such as pulmonary tuberculosis, emphysema, giant bullae, smoking, etc. We believe that surgical treatment should be performed if the general condition is good and in recurrent cases.
