A 24-year-old female with right-sided chest pain felt a pop in her chest while coughing. What should you suspect?

In the case of a 24-year-old female experiencing right-sided chest pain and a sensation of a "pop" in her chest while coughing, spontaneous pneumothorax is a key consideration. This condition often occurs due to the rupture of a bleb, which is a small air-filled sac on the lung surface, leading to air escaping into the pleural space.

The abrupt onset of chest pain, particularly after a forceful action such as coughing, aligns with the typical presentation of spontaneous pneumothorax. This occurs more commonly in younger individuals, especially tall, thin males, but can also happen in females. The sudden nature of the pain and the accompanying feeling of a "pop" suggest that the integrity of the lung has been compromised, which is characteristic of this condition.

In contrast, tension pneumothorax would likely present with more severe symptoms, including respiratory distress and mediastinal shift, and it is typically a result of trauma or a sealed opening in the chest that progressively traps air. Pleural effusion often results in dullness to percussion and may cause pain, but it usually does not present with a sensation of a "pop." Lastly, neoplasm would not cause an immediate sensation of rupture or acute pain as described