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. 2013 May;14(3):233-5.
doi: 10.5811/westjem.2011.7.6807.

Pneumothorax in liberia: complications of tuberculosis

Daniel B Grossman  1 , Erin Nasrallah
Affiliations

Pneumothorax in liberia: complications of tuberculosis

Daniel B Grossman et al. West J Emerg Med. 2013 May.

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a known cause of secondary pneumothorax. In areas with endemic TB, complications from the disease, including pneumothorax, are increasing in prevalence. We present the cases of 3 patients (ages 32 years, 17 years, and 3 months) seen in the emergency department at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. Each presented with shortness of breath and cough, and with some degree of respiratory distress. Airway compromise was present with tracheal or mediastinal deviation. Each patient underwent tube thoracostomy with improvement in pneumothorax and respiratory status.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: By the WestJEM article submission agreement, all authors are required to disclose all affiliations, funding, sources, and financial or management relationships that could be perceived as potential sources of bias. The authors disclosed none.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Chest radiograph after tube thoracostomy of a 32-yearold male with shortness of breath, with improvement in respiratory status and lung expansion with persistent left-sided air-fluid level and pneumothorax. (All patient images taken with permission of patient or accompanying guardian.)
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
A, A 17-year-old male referred from the tuberculosis (TB) clinic for shortness of breath with evidence of tracheal deviation on examination of neck. B, Chest radiograph of 17-year-old male referred from TB clinic for shortness of breath reveals right-sided air-fluid level with pneumothorax and mediastinal shift. C, Purulent drainage from tube thoracostomy of patient with presumed TB effusion and pneumothorax. (All patient images taken with permission of patient or accompanying guardian.)
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Chest radiograph of 3-month-old infant with shortness of breath reveals presumed tuberculosis-related pneumothorax and resultant mediastinal shift. (All patient images taken with permission of patient or accompanying guardian.)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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