%0 Journal Article %A Antonio Bobbio %A Agnes Dechartres %A Samir Bouam %A Emelyne Canny %A Nicolas Roche %A Marco Alifano %T Spontaneous pneumothorax: Epidemiology in France %D 2014 %J European Respiratory Journal %P P4116 %V 44 %N Suppl 58 %X Background. Epidemiology of spontaneous pneumothorax has been scanty studied in recent years in spite of new pathogenic insights.Aim and objectives. The aim of the study was to study the characteristics of spontaneous pneumothorax in a nationwide population database.Methods. The database of the French National health system of hospital admissions between 2008 and 2011 was explored. Information for each hospital stay included age, sex, primary versus secondary character, type of unit admission, duration of hospital stay, and month of hospitalization.Results. A total of 59,658 hospital admissions for patients aged>14 years were retrieved, with an estimated annual incidence of 17/100,000 inhabitants. Sex ratio was 1/3.35 and hospital re-admissions in between two years were estimated at 34%. Mean age of patients was 38 ±19 years. Winter, spring, summer and fall hospitalizations accounted for 25%, 25%, 24% and 26%, respectively (p=0.01). Primary pneumothorax accounted for 85% of hospitalizations. In 24% of cases a surgical procedure was performed. Surgical treatment was correlated with age (p<0.0001), male sex (p<0.003), secondary type of pneumothorax (p<0.0001) and hospitalization in ICU (p<0.0001). Mean age of women (41 ±19 years) was higher than of men (37 ±19 years) (p<0.0001). Matching sex and age, clusters were identified: 18-30, 31-50 and 51-65 years. In the group 31-50 hospitalization in a surgical unit (p=0.0002), surgical procedure (p=0.008) and a re-hospitalization (p<0.0001) were more frequent in women. In the group 51-65, secondary pneumothorax occurred more frequently in men (p<0.0001).Conclusions. Sex and age are important determinants in presentation and management of spontaneous pneumothorax. %U