Pneumothorax following induction chemotherapy in patients with lung metastases: a case report and literature review

Abstract

A 29-year-old patient presented with bilateral pulmonary lesions following surgery for recurrent placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT). On day seven after institution of the 'EMA' regimen (etoposide, medium dose methotrexate with folinic acid rescue and actinomycin-D), complete pneumothorax occurred. Closed-system air drainage brought only transient lung expansion and subsequent talc pleurodesis was needed. During follow-up, complete regression of lung metastases was observed. A literature survey of post-chemotherapy pneumothorax in patients with lung metastases disclosed fourteen hitherto reported cases. Including the present PSTT case, non-epithelial gynecologic malignancy (3 patients) ranks second to osteogenic sarcoma (6 cases) with regard to the primary tumor involved.