2025 Volume 14 Issue 5 Pages 241-244
The patient was a 73-year-old man who had been treated for type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia. Bilateral pleural effusion had been found at a previous hospital, and he was referred to our hospital. After detailed examination, he was diagnosed with malignant pleural effusion associated with pancreatic cancer. The pleural effusion was drained by thoracic drainage, but re-expansion of the lungs was insufficient. A clamp test revealed lung collapse, and he was diagnosed with ex vacuo pneumothorax. Pleurodesis was performed three times using autologous blood, after which the drain was removed. When performing thoracic drainage for malignant pleural effusion, caution is required to avoid the development of ex vacuo pneumothorax.
