Postcoital catamenial pneumothorax. Report of a case not associated with endometriosis and successfully treated with tubal ligation.

Néstor L. Müller, N L Müller, Bill Nelems, B Nelems
The American review of respiratory disease · 1986 · vol. 134(4) , pp. 803–4 · doi:10.1164/arrd.1986.134.4.803 · PMID:2945503 · W2463463002
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

A woman with recurrent pneumothoraces linked to her menstrual cycle and sexual intercourse was successfully treated with tubal ligation, suggesting transtubal air passage through diaphragmatic defects.

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Abstract

A 39-year-old woman had a 7-yr history of recurrent right-sided pneumothoraces. These occurred within 1 to 2 days before or after the beginning of the menstrual cycle. The patient recalled often having developed the right-sided pleuritic pain of pneumothorax during or shortly after sexual intercourse. She had no symptoms or signs to suggest endometriosis. A trial of cyclic birth control pills was unsuccessful in preventing recurrent pneumothoraces. Finally, approximately a year ago, laparoscopic tubal ligation was performed. The patient has not had pneumothorax since. We conclude that in our patient, the catamenial pneumothorax was most likely related to transtubal passage of air during sexual intercourse. Passage from the peritoneum to the pleura presumably occurred through a congenital defect or fenestration of the right hemidiaphragm.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Coitus Menstrual Cycle Pneumothorax Adult Diaphragm Diaphragm Fallopian Tubes Fallopian Tubes Female Humans Laparoscopy Ligation Pneumothorax Pneumothorax Pneumothorax Radiography

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Cited by (12)

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