CTICasesBuffalo Chest (Bison Chest) Post-Sternotomy
Imaging findings
Chest radiographs show a pleural drain catheter in the left hemithorax with a bilateral pneumothorax. Following kinking of the drain, the bilateral pneumothoraces significantly increased in size symmetrically. After unkinking the drain, both pneumothoraces rapidly reduced.
Key takeaways
A "buffalo chest" (or "bison chest") refers to a condition with a single, contiguous pleural space, named after the American bison which naturally possesses this anatomy. While bilateral pneumothoraces post-bilateral lung transplantation can occur due to inadvertent surgical communication between the pleural spaces, this case demonstrates that a similar communication can be created post-sternotomy during cardiac surgery, allowing bilateral pneumothoraces to be managed with a single, unilateral chest tube.
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