Primary spontaneous pneumothorax in Arabs: does its frequency differ from elsewhere?

No data are available on primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) in Arabs. H ence we sought to determine its characteristics in Arabs of the Al-Ahmadi G overnorate in Kuwait. All patients over 10 years of age with pneumothorax w ho were admitted to the only free general hospital serving Ahmadi area from 1985 to 1996 were reviewed retrospectively. The study included all patient s' medical records, investigations, treatment, morbidity, and mortality. An y patient with secondary pneumothorax was excluded. Primary spontaneous pne umothorax was rare in female Arabs, as they are almost never smokers. There were only two females out of total 58 patients with an incidence of 0.3 pe r 100,000 per year. Its incidence in male Arabs was 8.8 per 100,000 per yea r, similar to that in other studies. The distribution had a monophasic patt ern, the average age being 23 (+/- 7.3 SD) years at the first episode. Smok ing, a tall, asthenic (slim, relatively weak in appearance, ectomorphic) bo dy build, and a positive family history are the most important risk factors and are not different from most studies conducted in other parts of the wo rld. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.