Types of pneumothorax

Various classifications of pneumothorax are been used around the world.

The most common classification system divides pneumothorax into:

• spontaneous (non-traumatic)
  • primary spontaneous - no predisposing lung disease or history of thoracic trauma
  • secondary spontaneous - underlying lung abnormality is present
• traumatic
  • iatrogenic - caused by invasive medical procedures e.g. - central vein cannulation, pleural tap or biopsy, transbronchial biopsy, fine needle aspiration
  • accidental - following direct injury to the thorax e.g – penetrating chest injury, laceration of visceral pleura by a fractured rib (1,2)

Pneumothorax may also be classified as

• simple pneumothorax - no shift of the heart or mediastinal structures
• tension pneumothorax
  or
• open - “sucking” chest wound
• closed - intact thoracic cage (2)
  

Reference:

• (1) Currie GP et al. Pneumothorax: an update. Postgrad Med J. 2007; 83(981): 461–465
• (2) Sharma A, Jindal P. Principles of diagnosis and management of traumatic pneumothorax. J Emerg Trauma Shock. 2008;1(1):34-41