Abstract
It is said that simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax (SBSP) is a rare disease that mainly occurs among young men. Many reports state that most cases of SBSP are not life threatening. An 18-year-old Asian man was admitted to the emergency room with acute onset chest pain and severe dyspnea. Chest radiography on admission showed bilateral pneumothorax. He complained of severe respiratory distress and was diagnosed with “tension pneumothorax” ; hence, bilateral chest tubes were inserted immediately. Soon after, his condition stabilized. Chest computed tomography revealed several bullae on the apex of both lungs. We performed bilateral video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for bullae resection on hospital day 4. He was discharged on post-operative day 5 without any complication. Few cases of SBSP may become fatal. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are important. When there is lack of communication between the pleural spaces, we recommend bilateral VATS to be performed as a single surgery.
