SPONTANEOUS PNEUMOTHORAX COMPLICATING CHEMOTHERAPY FOR METASTATIC SEMINOMA - A CASE-REPORT AND A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Background. Spontaneous pneumothorax complicating chemotherapy has bee n reported mainly in metastatic sarcoma, particularly of the osteogeni c type. The main factor in the etiology of spontaneous pneumothorax co uld be related to tumor lysis and/or rapid rupture of chemosensitive p eripheral or subpleural metastasis into the pleural cavity, thus leadi ng to a bronchopleural fistula. Methods and Results. A 49-year-old pat ient in whom spontaneous pneumothorax developed after successful chemo therapy for metastatic seminoma is described. On chest tube drainage, the lung reexpanded rapidly and the patient became clinically and radi ographically symptom free. Conclusion. To the authors' knowledge, this is only the second case of spontaneous pneumothorax complicating chem otherapy-induced rapid regression of lung and mediastinal metastases i n patients with seminoma. Spontaneous pneumothorax should be included in the spectrum of chemotherapy-related side effects in chemosensitive solid tumors with lung metastases