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Case Reports
. 2017 Oct 13;13(1):81-85.
doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2017.09.003. eCollection 2018 Feb.

Catamenial pneumothorax caused by thoracic endometriosis

Paolo Maniglio  1 , Enzo Ricciardi  2 , Federica Meli  1 , Salvatore Giovanni Vitale  3 , Marco Noventa  4 , Amerigo Vitagliano  4 , Gaetano Valenti  5 , Valentina Lucia La Rosa  6 , Antonio Simone Laganà  3 , Donatella Caserta  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Catamenial pneumothorax caused by thoracic endometriosis

Paolo Maniglio et al. Radiol Case Rep. .

Abstract

Background: Thoracic endometriosis syndrome is a rare form of extrapelvic endometriosis characterized by the presence of functioning endometrial tissue in pleura, lung parenchyma, and airways, associated with a high rate of infertility.

Case report: We have reported a case of successful management and treatment of thoracic endometriosis syndrome that occurred in a 37-year-old female patient. She underwent thoracoscopic resection of the lesion. During follow-up, we revealed the recurrence of a previously surgically treated thoracic endometriosis. She was initially treated with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist; subsequently this was replaced by a prophylactic treatment with Dienogest.

Conclusion: The diagnosis of thoracic endometriosis is challenging. The first line of treatment is medical, whereas the surgical treatment is performed secondly. Moreover, surgical treatment can lead to a significant rate of recurrence, often reduced by a coadjutant medical treatment.

Keywords: Endometriosis; Hemothorax; Pneumothorax; Thoracic endometriosis.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
X-ray of the chest (A, B, C) showing basal-right focal parenchymal consolidation (arrows) and costophrenic angle obliteration (white *). HRCT (D) showing paracardiac ground-glass nodular lesion (black *) and nodular ground-glass opacity in the basal segment of the left lung (arrow).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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