Case 287.

Abstract

History A 60-year-old woman was diagnosed with a new right upper lobe stage I lung adenocarcinoma and underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for right upper lobectomy. Her postoperative course was complicated by a large pneumothorax after chest tube removal on postoperative day 3. This was managed with repeat right-sided chest tube placement on the same day. The second chest tube was removed on postoperative day 8 without complications. A 2-week postoperative clinic visit was unremarkable. Postoperative chest radiographs on postoperative days 1, 3, and 8 (Fig 1a-1c) are provided. Subsequently, chest CT scanning was performed as part of routine 6-month postsurgical lung cancer surveillance follow-up (Figs 2, 3). The patient had no clinical complaints at routine follow-up. Physical examination revealed well-healed VATS scars in the chest wall. Laboratory results were within normal limits, including a normal white blood cell count of 6400/μL. Her surgical history included prior left upper lobectomy for remote left upper lobe stage IIIA adenocarcinoma and prior bilateral breast implantation for cosmesis. On the basis of chest CT findings, the patient was transferred from an outside institution.