A Case Report: 19-year-old Boy with Shortness of Breath and Chest Pain

Acute shortness of breath with chest discomfort is usually associated with sudden physiological changes, such as pneumothorax. Pneumothorax is the presence of gas in the pleural space. A spontaneous pneumothorax is one that occurs without antecedent trauma in healthy individuals. A 19-year-old boy with no significant medical history was admitted to the emergency department (ED) with sudden onset of acute shortness of breath and right-sided chest pain. Chest films showed a right-sided pneumothorax, on the chest CT apical subpleural bullae was present so the diagnosis of Spontaneous Pneumothorax was established. Firstly drainage of the pleural cavity on the right side was performed but because of recurrence patient underwent thoracoscopic bleb resection (VATS) of the affected lung. When spontaneous pneumothorax is diagnosed, it is important to differentiate between a primary and secondary cause, moreover CT scan is recommended to exclude presence of subpleural bullae and if necessary remove it to prevent recurrence.