SPONTANEOUS PNEUMOTHORAX IN A PATIENT WITH SYSTEMIC-SCLEROSIS

A 28-year-old woman developed spontaneously a right- sided pneumothora x, the leading clinical symptom of an as yet undiagnosed systemic scle rosis. The diagnosis was confirmed by Raynaud's phenomenon, microstomi a, arthralgia, distal oesophageal dysfunction and antinuclear antibodi es. Initial treatment with pleural suction was followed by thoracoscop y and segmental pulmonary resection, Spontaneous pneumothorax is a rar e complication in patients with systemic sclerosis, most likely caused by the rupture of subpleural cysts.