Neonatal pneumothorax (NP) is a potentially life-threatening condition. Lung ultrasound (LUS) has shown higher sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis compared to x-rays, but evidence regarding its usefulness in complex NP is lacking. We report four neonates suffering from cardiac or esophageal malformations who developed lateral and/or posterior pneumothoraces, in which LUS helped, making NP diagnosis and management easier and faster.
Conclusion: LUS is an easy-to-use, fast, simple, and accurate tool when evaluating newborns with NP, also in atypical positions such as in surgical patients.
What is known: • Lung ultrasound (LUS) has higher sensitivity and specificity than x-rays in the diagnosis of pneumothorax in neonatal patients.
What is new: • This is the first report about neonatal pneumothorax in non-conventional areas (lateral/posterior) diagnosed by lung ultrasound and how obtaining this information is critical in order to optimize management.
Keywords: Case report; Lung ultrasound; Neonates; Pneumothorax; Ultrasound-guided procedure.
© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.