Objective:

Lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) has been introduced as a predictor and a prognostic factor for multiple diseases. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of LMR in predicting the recurrence of spontaneous pneumothorax.

Materials and methods:

A total of 374 patients who had received chest tubes at the first episode of primary spontaneous pneumothorax were examined in terms of age, gender, side of the pneumothorax, status of recurrence, LMRs at the time of admittance and recurrence, and the interval until the recurrence.

Results:

Recurrence was diagnosed in 106 (28.3%) patients, whereas the mean time until the recurrence was 15.32 ± 5.57 months. Significantly, the recurrence rate was higher, while the time until the relapse was shorter for patients with elevated levels of LMR. Moreover, LMR counting over 1.25 demonstrated a 70.8% sensitivity and a 94.4% specificity in predicting a potential recurrence.

Conclusions:

Calculation of LMR at the first episode of spontaneous pneumothorax contributes to predict a potential recurrence when combined with traditional risk factors.