[Spontaneous pneumothorax in AIDS. Observations in 10 patients].

Ten of our AIDS patients developed a unilateral or bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax. Four patients previously had pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and one had pulmonary tuberculosis. In six patients the pneumothorax occurred during the acute period of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Five patients were admitted to hospital because of the pneumothorax. The radiological findings varied from a small pneumothorax to almost total pulmonary collapse. Five of the ten patients were discharged after successful treatment of the pneumothorax but, in two, cystic lung segments had to be removed surgically.