Pneumothorax means air has collected between the lung and chest wall, causing partial or complete lung collapse.
Common symptoms include sudden chest pain, shortness of breath, and pain that can feel worse when breathing in.
Imaging helps confirm that the lung has partly or fully collapsed, estimate how large the pneumothorax is, and guide whether intervention is needed.
Chest X-ray is commonly used to detect it, and CT may help in complex or traumatic cases.
Management ranges from observation to urgent chest tube placement depending on size, symptoms, and cause.
This entry explains the condition. The next step is having a radiologist interpret your specific scan, not a general definition.
