These previous diseases include asthma and tuberculosis. Due to the rupture, air from inside the lung escapes and enters the chest cavity. Increased pressure of the air on the outside of the lung forces it to collapse. Depending on the severity of the collapse, various symptoms will be experienced within minutes of the initial collapse. If the ruptured bleb is large, or if there are multiple blebs which break, the collapse may cause great pain in the chest.
Some researchers believe that the incidences of primary spontaneous pneumothoraces are increasing.
In fact, an estimate of the annual medical costs due to SP s is over 130 million dollars and rising, especially in light of the new incidents of SP in AIDS patients. The circled lung is healthy. The black side's lung is collapsed, as is seen in the void space. Causes It is known that ruptured blebs or bullae are the cause of SP in most patients. However, it is still a mystery as to why certain people have these sub-pleural blisters.