The Drug-Induced Respiratory Disease Website

Can be uni- or bilateral. Pneumomediastinum can be present as an associated finding. Pneumothorax can develop as a complication of drug-induced pleural fibrosis or fibroelastosis (see under IV c) and it can difficult to treat as the lung may reexpand poorly. Pneumothorax can also occur as a complication of drug-induced cavitation or thinning of pulmonary tumors including metastases (See XIu). The association with therapy with drugs is confounded by indication (PMID 23801882) as pneumothorax can also occur idiopathically. Novel targeted agents may cause tumor necrosis, cavitation of metastatic lung nodules and difficult-to-treat pneumothorax