If an area of the lung wall is thin and abnormal (blebs or bullaes), air may leak into the pleural cavity and collapse the lung. The pleural cavity is the space between the lung and the rib cage. When air collects into this space and the lung starts to collapse, the patient may experience chest pain and breathlessness. This condition is known as Pneumothorax.
Symptoms include chest pain and breathlessness.
It is usually diagnosed by chest X-ray.
If Pneumothorax is severe or recurrent, surgery can be performed to remove the blebs or bullaes and re-expand the lung.
Click here to access our Find A Doctor directory for a list of doctors treating this condition across our NUHS institutions.
