A collapsed lung caused by air entering the pleural space between the lung and chest wall. This prevents the lung from expanding properly and can be spontaneous, traumatic, or iatrogenic.
From Greek 'pneuma' (air, breath) + 'thorax' (chest). Coined in the late 19th century as chest X-rays allowed doctors to visualize air in the pleural space. The term literally means 'air in the chest' and reflects the Greek medical tradition of descriptive anatomical naming.
Tall, thin young men are surprisingly prone to spontaneous pneumothorax - it's like their lungs are too big for their chest cavity! The condition can recur in up to 50% of cases, leading some to joke about 'frequent flyer' patients.
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