Artificial Pneumothorax in Pulmonary Tuberculosis: With Special Reference to the Prevention and Treatment of Pleural Effusion

Linton, Walter S (1950) Artificial Pneumothorax in Pulmonary Tuberculosis: With Special Reference to the Prevention and Treatment of Pleural Effusion. MD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

1. The history of artificial pneumothorax treatment is outlined, especially the development of the indications for the use of this form of treatment. 2. The anatomy of the lung is described in some detail, emphasis being laid on the elasticity of the various pulmonary and pleural tissues. 3. The pleural and pulmonary dynamics are discussed with reference to artificial pneumothorax and stress is laid on the importance of the bronchial movements and calibre changes. 4. The pathology of pulmonary tuberculosis is touched upon at points which concern this work. 5. Cavities are classified and reference made to the various forms of cavity closure and healing. 6. The importance of the bronchial factor in the evolution, persistence, behaviour and closure of cavities is emphasised. 7. A short note on adhesions is inserted. 8. The rationale of collapse therapy is next discussed as are also the indications and contra-indications for pneumothorax treatment in the light of present-day knowledge. The difficulty of obtaining a satisfactory collapse by pneumothorax in the presence of active bronchial tuberculosis is noted. 9. The technique of collapse therapy by artificial pneumothorax is described. It is only permissible to use this form of collapse as a temporary collapse measure and emphasis is laid on the fact that this is a relaxation procedure and not a compression of the lung. 10. The complications pleural effusion and adhesions are discussed, stress being laid on the prevention and management of the former. 11. Various methods of assessing the results of pneumothorax treatment are next discussed. The results to date in a personal series of one-hundred cases having pneumothorax treat ment are set forth. It is confirmed that artificial pneumothorax,in so far as it is effective in obtaining cavity closure, is a useful form of treatment but, when it is ineffective, it must be given up in favour of some other form of treatment. 12. A number of cases of empyema are discussed with special reference to the prevention, where possible, of this complication. 13. Certain further cases are described in some detail as throwing light on the handling of pneumothorax with tension cavity and also the difficulty of closing cavities in the lower lobe.

• Item Type: Thesis (MD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Medicine, Pathology
• Date of Award: 1950
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1950-79785
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 31 Mar 2020 09:09
• Last Modified: 31 Mar 2020 09:09
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/79785