Definition Pneumothorax
A collapsed lung pneumothorax (pneu = air, thorax = chest) is defined as an intrusion of air into the pleural space, which leads to the collapse of the lung tissue. This can be caused by a broken rib, but also by the bursting of distended lung tissue (emphysema).
ClassificationShapes
The lung fur (pleura) consists of two leaves or layers. The pleural space or gap lies between the two leaves of the pleura. The negative pressure normally prevailing in the pleural gap is released in a pneumothorax and the lung contracts due to its own elasticity.
This can be imagined by giving water between two plates. The glass plates are now easily movable against each other, but cannot be separated from each other. If, apart from the pneumothorax (collapsed lung), there is no underlying disease of the lung that can be detected radiologically (on X-ray), it is called a primary pneumothorax.
If, however, the x-ray reveals a previous disease of the lung, it is called a secondary pneumothorax. A special form is the tension pneumothorax. In a tension pneumothorax, air enters the pleural gap from the outside (e.g. through a knife wound or broken ribs).
Each time it is breathed in, more air accumulates, which displaces and compresses the soft and elastic lung tissue. Due to the valve mechanism, the air cannot escape again during exhalation. The heart is displaced to the opposite side.
The division can also be made between the inner and outer pneumothorax. An inner pneumothorax develops within the lung (e.g. due to the bursting of alveoli in the case of pulmonary emphysema), whereas an outer pneumothorax results from a stab wound or a broken rib that punctures the lung, for example. Often, the pneumothorax is accompanied by serous (seropneumothorax), purulent (pyopneumothorax) or bloody (hemopneumothorax) effusion. In just under 1-2% of cases, bilateral pneumothorax is present.
- Collapsed lung
- Trachea (windpipe)
- Tracheal bifurcation (Carina)
- Left lung with full deployment
All articles in this series:
