Catamenial Pneumothorax: A Rare Diagnosis Among Menstruating Women

Catamenial Pneumothorax is a rare condition often associated with endometriosis in menstruating women. Due to the rarity of this condition, its etiology is not well studied and, thus, effective treatment regimens have not been well established. We present a case of a 21-year-old female with no significant past medical history who developed recurrent episodes of spontaneous pneumothorax, chronologically associated with her menstrual cycle. This pattern is known as the sine qua non criteria and is one of the only established criteria in current literature for diagnosing catamenial pneumothorax. Our aim with this case report is to expand the current collection of published knowledge about this rare condition and to bring awareness so that those affected by catamenial pneumothorax can be diagnosed and treated more efficiently. Additional research on the pathophysiology of this disease needs to be done to aid in the development of effective treatment regimens.