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. 2013 Oct;30(4):360-2.
doi: 10.4103/0970-2113.120624.

A case of spontaneous pneumothorax following radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer

Himanshu Bhardwaj  1 , Bhaskar Bhardwaj, Houssein A Youness
Affiliations

A case of spontaneous pneumothorax following radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer

Himanshu Bhardwaj et al. Lung India. 2013 Oct.

Abstract

Spontaneous pneumothorax (SPTX) is a potentially devastating rare complication of the thoracic radiation therapy. Most of the cases in the medical literature, have been described in lymphoma patients receiving radiation therapy. The pathogenesis of this adverse event remains undefined although different mechanisms have been proposed. We present a case of post-radiation therapy SPTX in a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), following intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), which to our knowledge is the first such reported case related to this newer mode of radiation therapy. This report highlights the importance of keeping a close eye for this complication as timely treatment with chest tube insertion and drainage of the pneumothorax can be a lifesaving in these patients.

Keywords: Chest tube; lung cancer; pleura; pneumothorax; radiation therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) CT Thorax showing right lower lobe lung carcinoma with post obstructive atelectasis (arrow); (b) Corresponding PET-CT showing the increased activity in the same area (arrow)
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Chest radiograph showing large right-sided pneumothorax (arrows); (b) Chest CT showing large right-sided pneumothorax with left mediastinal shift (arrows)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chest radiograph showing resolved pneumothorax. Pigtail catheter is visible in the right pleural cavity. Incidental elevated right hemidiaphragm is visible
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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