TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Pleural Disease: Pneumothorax and Chylothorax A1 - Chin, Anthony C. A1 - Reynolds, Marleta A2 - Ziegler, Moritz M. A2 - Azizkhan, Richard G. A2 - Allmen, Daniel von A2 - Weber, Thomas R. Y1 - 2014 N1 - T2 - Operative Pediatric Surgery, 2e AB - Key PointsA pneumothorax results from a tear in the visceral or parietal pleura with the introduction and/or accumulation of air in the pleural space.A pneumothorax may be spontaneous or, more frequently, acquired.A patient with a pneumothorax may present with respiratory complaints and chest pain, but with minimal lung collapse, the breath sounds may be normal.An upright anterior-to-posterior chest radiograph, upon expiration when feasible, is the standard diagnostic test used to identify a pneumothorax.Treatment may include observation, needle aspiration, placement of an intercostal catheter or tube, or surgical intervention. This may include invasive thoracoscopy or thoracotomy with pleurodesis or pleurectomy, and possibly resection of underlying bullae, cysts, or abnormalities thought to be responsible for the pneumothorax.Surgical treatment using video-assisted thoracoscopic techniques (VATS) or open thoracotomy is indicated when an air leak continues for more than 3 to 5 days or in a pneumothorax that recurs within 48 hours following adequate treatment. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/29 UR - accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1100433716 ER -