Zeuner M, Müller-Ladner U, Mohr V D, Lang B
Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Regensburg, Germany.
Clin Rheumatol. 1996 Mar;15(2):211-3. doi: 10.1007/BF02230345.
A 28-year-old woman developed spontaneously a right- sided pneumothorax, the leading clinical symptom of an as yet undiagnosed systemic sclerosis. The diagnosis was confirmed by Raynaud's phenomenon, microstomia, arthralgia, distal oesophageal dysfunction and antinuclear antibodies. Initial treatment with pleural suction was followed by thoracoscopy and segmental pulmonary resection. Spontaneous pneumothorax is a rare complication in patients with systemic sclerosis, most likely caused by the rupture of subpleural cysts.