5. Pneumothorax
An abnormal presence of air in the pleural cavity (the space between the best chest wall and surface of the lung) is referred to as Pneumothorax. Pneumothorax can result in a collapsed lung, which can be caused by trauma and can also be exacerbated by smoking. There are different classifications of pneumothorax: primary, secondary, and recurring spontaneous, iatrogenic (due to a medical intervention), traumatic, and tension.
Treatment depends on severity, ranging from observation to a chest tube in the most severe cases. In cases of repeated pneumothorace, Pleurodesis a procedure that obliterates the pleural space in order to prevent recurrent pleural effusion. This procedure can be either chemical or surgical. During chemical pleurodesis, chemicals are introduced into the pleural space through a chest drain. During a surgical pleurodesis, either thoracotomy in which an incision into the pleural space is made or thoracosopy which is a biopsy of the pleural cavity.
