[Diagnosis and management of idiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax in adolescents].

INTRODUCTION:Due to the absence of consensual definition and agreed-upon pediatric treatment, pneumothorax (PNO) in children and adolescents often remains difficult to properly apprehend. STATE OF THE ART:While initial diagnostic suspicion is clinical, confirmation necessitates chest imaging, and lung ultrasound has become increasingly prevalent, often at the expense of chest radiography. The goal of treatment is twofold, on the one hand to a fully re-expand the lungs, and on the other hand to forestall PNO recurrence. Depending on PNO severity and clinical tolerance, it may be advisable to envision conservative management, oxygen supplementation, needle exsufflation, or chest tube drainage. PERSPECTIVES:In order to harmonize clinical practices, guidelines for the precise definition and graduated management of PNO in children and adolescents are highly advisable. CONCLUSIONS:Idiopathic spontaneous PNO frequently occurs in teenage populations, and its likewise frequent recurrence is not satisfactorily predicted by chest CT findings. It is of paramount importance that patients be fully informed of the risk of recurrence.