Clinical-pathological findings of catamenial pneumothorax: comparison between recurrent cases and non-recurrent cases.

PURPOSE

Catamenial pneumothorax (CP) is classified as thoracic endometriosis syndrome. There are few reports of CP, and the clinical manifestations of this disease are unclear. The aim of the present study is to clarify the features of CP.

METHODS

The clinical and pathological files of the 92 female patients pathologically diagnosed with thoracic endometriosis are included in this study. The clinical data and pathological findings of the recurrent and non-recurrent groups are compared.

RESULTS

Thirty-six patients (39.1%) experienced recurrence, 37 (40.2%) patients did not, and 19 (20.4) patients could not be evaluated. The ratio of the endometrial gland in the diaphragm is significantly higher in the recurrent cases in comparison to non-recurrent cases (66.7% vs. 37.8%, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The recurrence rate of CP is high. Further study of the optimal management strategies is needed, especially for CP cases with the endometrial gland in the diaphragm.