Risk Factors for Pneumothorax Complicating Radiofrequency Ablation for Lung Malignancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Based on available observational studies, the results suggest risk factors for pneumothorax secondary to pulmonary RF ablation may include increased age, male gender, no history of lung surgery, number of tumors ablated, and increased length of the aerated lung traversed by the electrode. The findings from this systematic review should be interpreted with caution because of the inherent limitations of the retrospective observational design.