Abstract
Background No consensus exists regarding surgical intervention for rheumatoid nodule–related
pneumothorax. Clinical policy decisions rely on individual clinicians' experience
and are usually intractable.
Case Description A 50-year-old man with a difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis–related pneumothorax
was successfully treated with pedicle omentoplasty without recurrence at approximately
2 years posttreatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a
patient where pneumothorax did not recur due to firm adhesions despite fluctuating
postoperative rheumatoid nodules, as captured by regular computed tomography imaging
follow-ups.
Conclusion Pedicled omentoplasty is effective for rheumatoid nodule–related pneumothorax as
it reduces pneumothorax recurrence.
Keywords
pedicled omentoplasty - omentum - rheumatoid pleural nodules - intractable secondary
pneumothorax - rheumatologists
