Simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax in emergency department: case report

Abstract

Simultaneous bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax is a rare disease entity as it accounts for only 1.3% of all cases of spontaneous pneumothorax. We report the case of a 15-year-old male patient who presented to the emergency department with dyspnea of sudden onset and mild chest pain. The patient, who was a smoker, was stable on hemodynamic and respiratory level. Chest x-ray showed a bilateral pneumothorax leading to the diagnosis of spontaneous bilateral simultaneous pneumothorax. Chest tube drainage was initially performed in the right lung with full reexpansion. Then, the patient underwent surgery on the left lung and had good recovery. Despite the bilaterality of pleural detachment, the hemodynamic and respiratory condition was stable. However, careful monitoring in the emergency department is mandatory.