Spontaneous pneumothorax: the sharp rib syndrome.

Of 49 patients undergoing operation for benign spontaneous pneumothorax, 28 (57%) were found to have a sharp first or second rib. In a series of 100 patients undergoing thoracotomy for other conditions, only eight (8%) were found to have a sharp rib. The association between sharp ribs, apical scars and bullae, and spontaneous pneumothorax is discussed.