[Pneumothorax in pregnancy. A review of 16 cases including one of the authors'].

Pneumothorax in pregnancy raises several problems especially of therapy. In the present study we report a case observed in our Institution and literature data on 15 further cases. Pneumothorax occurred in 9 cases in the course of pregnancy, in 6 cases during delivery and in 1 case in the post-partum period. Immediate treatment was insertion of pleural drain in 13 patients and bed rest in 3 patients. Surgery was required in 8 cases and was performed after delivery in 5 cases and during pregnancy in 3 cases, 6 thoracotomies, 1 bilateral thoracotomy and 1 sternotomy for bilateral pneumothorax were carried out. Actually a videothoracoscopic treatment, requiring general anaesthesia, is also possible. In all observed cases pneumothorax didn't represent a serious risk for both mother and foetus, for the timely therapeutic measures. Pneumothorax represents an uncommon pathology, usually underestimated in literature, that must be taken into account whenever during pregnancy or the post-partum period a progressive respiratory failure arises.