Pneumothorax Due to a Nontraumatic Thoracic Wall Rupture Due to Steroid-Induced Muscle Wasting

Abstract

Spontaneous pneumothorax can be classified into primary and secondary variants. A 58-year-old patient presented with a 7-week history of severe coughing and chest pain. He noticed progressive swelling of the face and the upper part of the body. His medical history revealed osteoporosis and severe rheumatoid arthritis treated with steroids and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Computed tomography of the thorax revealed complete rupture of the thoracic wall through costae 9 and 10 with lung herniation. The defect was closed using dual mesh and the pneumothorax was treated. Two weeks after surgery, the subcutaneous emphysema resolved and the patient was discharged from the hospital.