Pneumothorax

Pneumothorax
Catherine L. McKnight; Bracken Burns.
Last Update: February 15, 2023.

A pneumothorax is a collection of air outside the lung but within the pleural cavity. It occurs when air accumulates between the parietal and visceral pleura inside the chest. The air accumulation can apply pressure on the lung and make it collapse. Pneumothoraces can be even further classified as simple, tension, or open. A simple pneumothorax does not shift the mediastinal structures, as does a tension pneumothorax. An open pneumothorax also is known as a “sucking” chest wound.
The degree of collapse determines the clinical presentation of pneumothorax. Air can enter the pleural space by two mechanisms, either by trauma causing communication through the chest wall or from the lung by rupture of the visceral pleura. There are two types of pneumothorax: traumatic and atraumatic. The two subtypes of atraumatic pneumothorax are primary and secondary.