Spontaneous hemothorax.

A 31-year-old man presented to the emergency department with dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain resulting from a spontaneous hemothorax. A tube thoracostomy was performed on the left side and 700 cc of blood removed. Another 1800 cc of blood oozed from the chest tube. Open thoracotomy was performed in the operating room. There were approximately 1 to 2 liters of blood and clot in the chest cavity. Multiple bleeding points in the apex were ligated and wedge resection was done. Spontaneous hemothorax may represent a form of spontaneous hemopneumothorax or it may be a complication of a variety of situations. Open thoracotomy may be necessary for definitive diagnosis and treatment.