A retrospective medical record study of 81 patients admitted consecutively over a five-year period to the pneumophtisiology B Unit of the Jamot Hospital in Yaounde, Cameroon, for spontaneous pneumothorax was conducted to evaluate the epidemiology, radioclinical features and outcome of this condition. Spontaneous pneumothorax accounted for 0.05% of all hospital admissions during the study period. Median age was 30 years, and there was a male bias with a sex ratio of 4.5/1. No seasonal variations were detected. Smoking was reported by 60.1% of patients. The main clinical symptoms were dyspnea (97.5%), chest pain (95.1%), and coughing (80.2%). Roentgenograms showed that 60.5% of leaks were of moderate size and that the right side was affected in 67.9% of cases. Two patients died. No recurrences were recorded. Tuberculosis was by far the most common cause (51.9% of cases), followed by nontuberculous lower respiratory tract infections (24.7%). No cause was found in 17.3% of cases.
