A Case of Bilateral Secondary Pneumothorax Shortly after the Completion of Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Tongue Cancer

Metastatic lung tumours rarely lead to development of pneumothorax, and no case of bilateral secondary pneumothorax due to lung metastases arising from tongue cancer has been reported. Here, we report a case of a patient with tongue cancer with lung metastases complicated by bilateral secondary pneumothorax soon after the completion of concurrent chemoradiotherapy. A 39-year-old man with cervical lymph node metastases originating from pT2N0M0 tongue cancer underwent neck dissection and postoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Shortly after the completion of chemoradiotherapy, he developed bilateral secondary pneumothorax. Subsequently, he underwent partial lung resection for the pulmonary fistulae for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes; nodular lesions found in both the lungs. The diagnosis of secondary pneumothorax was based on histopathological findings. Although all pulmonary fistulae disappeared after partial lung resection, he died of the primary disease despite our best efforts to control the metastatic pulmonary lesions.