Shock after treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax

Abstract

A previously healthy 22-year-old man presented with acute chest pain and dyspnoea. Chest radiography showed a large right-sided pneumothorax. Primary spontaneous pneumothorax was diagnosed and chest tube drainage was performed (figure 1A). Four hours later, the patient complained of chest pain and dyspnoea and developed hypotension. Bloody pleural effusion was drawn through the chest tube. Chest radiography showed massive right pleural effusion (figure 1B). Subsequently, spontaneous haemopneumothorax (SHP) was diagnosed. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) revealed a torn aberrant vessel at the …