Bronchial Breathing and Resonant Percussion—An Important Combination of Signs in Pneumothorax

Pneumothorax is a common clinical problem encountered by physicians in many clinical settings. Pneumothorax may be either primary or secondary; primary pneumothorax occurs in patients without underlying lung disease; whereas secondary pneumothorax occurs in patients with preexisting pulmonary disease, such as bullous emphysema.(1) In most cases, pneumothorax results from a rent in the alveolar membrane; an interruption in the parietal pleura following chest trauma or surgical procedures may also be causative.