Tension pneumothorax as a complication of colonoscopy

The appearance of complications is not frequent following lower gastric endoscopy, and even less so in those which carry the risk of death. Within the low incidence, perforation is the second in frequency of appearance, following hemorrhage. Herein we present the case of a patient who developed acute respiratory failure on developing hypertensive pneumothorax secondary to colon perforation during therapeutic colonoscopy. The mechanism of production, the clinical manifestations and the treatment of this complication are reviewed.