[Spontaneous pneumothorax. A follow-up of 100 patients].

A total of 135 spontaneous pneumothorax (PNX) episodes, occurring in a sample of 100 patients, are examined with a mean follow-up of 4 years. Aim of this retrospective analysis is to evaluate the influence of different therapeutic approaches on relapse rate. The evaluated treatment options are: respiratory physiotherapy, thoracentesis, prolonged drainage, surgery such as bullectomy or "frottage". By mean of correlation index, a decreased incidence of relapse is shown for surgery--with no relapse--followed by prolonged drainage and then by thoracentesis, and by respiratory physiotherapy.