TY - JOUR T1 - Sudden death in a young male with a recent pneumothorax: a case report JF - European Respiratory Review JO - EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY REVIEW SP - 145 LP - 147 DO - 10.1183/09059180.00004913 VL - 23 IS - 131 AU - James B. Geake AU - Donald M. Ritchey AU - Jo Burke AU - Andrew Halliday AU - Richard Wood-Baker AU - Graeme Maguire Y1 - 2014/03/01 UR - http://err.ersjournals.com/content/23/131/145.abstract N2 - To the Editor:An 18-year-old Caucasian male presented to his local doctor with acute left shoulder and interscapular pain. A chest radiograph demonstrated a complex left-sided pneumothorax, which was subsequently confirmed on a thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan (fig. 1). There were multiple septations traversing the pleural space. The patient smoked cigarettes. He denied illicit drug use, including marijuana. His non-consanguineous parents and one younger male sibling were alive and free from significant medical disease. He had a history of depression for which he was prescribed fluoxetine.Figure 1. Thoracic computed tomography scan showing a complex left-sided pneumothorax. 5 months previously he had been admitted to hospital for 10 days with a spontaneous perforated sigmoid colon complicated by faecal peritonitis. The aetiology of the perforation had been unclear, but a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis, including views of the lung bases, had demonstrated a right-sided pleural effusion. A Hartmann’s procedure was performed and was successfully reversed 2 months later. Histology of the resected bowel was unremarkable.On examination the patient had a tall and slender build, but this was not remarkable. Body mass index and arm span were not formally measured. There was no joint hypermobility, chest wall deformity or corneal abnormality. Palatal examination was normal. … ER -