PNEUMOTHORAX OF THE NEW-BORN: REPORT OF A THIRD CASE OF THE INFECTIOUS TYPE, WITH COMMENTS ON PATHOGENESIS OF THIS TYPE

The following case of infectious pneumothorax in a new-born infant is reported both because of the rarity of the disease and because of the pathologic demonstration of the etiologic basis of the condition in this instance. The first case of pneumothorax of this type in a new-born infant was reported by Gasul and Singer. 1 After reviewing the literature, Glaser and Landau 2 recently reported the second instance of infectious pneumothorax in a new-born infant, thereby making a total of seventeen authentic cases recorded of pneumothorax of all types in the new-born. Subsequently, Folke, 3 who included two cases cited by Miller 4 and not recorded by the previous authors, reported the case of a 17 month old boy with persistent pneumothorax which developed soon after a normal delivery. The probable etiology was given as a valve mechanism superimposed on congenital small cysts of the lungs. It is possible that