Artificial pneumothorax and pregnancy

Summary

• 1. We record the case of a successful pregnancy in a patient undergoing treatment by artificial pneumothorax for pulmonary tuberculosis.

• 2. It is most important that whenever pulmonary tuberculosis is suspected during pregnancy or after the puerperium an early diagnosis should be made with the object of instituting collapse therapy before the lesions have become extensively bilateral.

• 3. We do not recommend that a phthisical woman should ever become pregnant, but if the patient rejects this advice this record suggests that there may be advantages in allowing the pregnancy to occur while artificial pneumothorax is maintained, rather than waiting till re-expansion is permitted. There isa priori support for this contention, but the question cannot be decided without further evidence.