Alexander the Great's Life-Threatening Thoracic Trauma

Abstract

Alexander the Great was a world-class leader with tremendous courage. He paid no heed to the dangers of the battlefield, so he was always in the front lines. However, his excessive courage put his life in danger. Herein, we present an analysis of the information contained in the chronicles about a very severe, life-threatening thoracic trauma that nearly killed the great stratelates. The detailed descriptions made by Arrianus allow us to conclude that Alexander the Great experienced a nearly fatal case of tension pneumothorax. Information on how he was managed is also presented.

Keywords

• Pneumothorax
• Penetrating thoracic trauma
• Alexander the Great