Pneumothorax as a complication of tumour response to chemotherapy.

A patient with extensive pulmonary involvement by disseminated adenocarcinoma is presented. Response to chemotherapy resulted in the direct rupture of necrotic tumour tissue into the pleural cavity leading to a pneumothorax. The condition failed to improve with chest drainage and suction, necessitating surgical intervention. The development of the pneumothorax proved to be a fatal complication of treatment.