Case ReportSpontaneous pneumomediastinum
Introduction
Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is defined as presence of free air in the mediastinum in the absence of any surgical or medical procedure, chest trauma or mechanical ventilation.1 SPM is an uncommon entity seen usually in young males and presents with chest pain, dyspnoea and subcutaneous emphysema. Although SPM is a benign and self-limiting illness it must be differentiated from acute life threatening conditions like Boerhaave syndrome, acute coronary syndrome and pulmonary embolism. Here we present the case of a young male who developed SPM after a bout of cough.
Section snippets
Case Report
A 24 year old male patient presented to the emergency department at around 4:00 am with complaints of sudden onset chest pain and difficulty in breathing for 30 min duration. He woke up with a severe bout of cough that lasted for 1 min followed by chest pain. Chest pain was moderate to severe in intensity, piercing type, retrosternal and was radiating to the neck. This chest pain was increasing on deep inspiration. Patient also experienced breathlessness at rest immediately following chest
Discussion
Pneumomediastinum (presence of free air in the mediastinum) can be divided in two groups, if there is no obvious primary source of the air in mediastinum it is known as spontaneous pneumomediastinum, if specific pathological condition like trauma, intrathoracic infection or disruption of aero-digestive track can be identified then it is referred to as secondary pneumomediastinum.2 Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is defined as presence of free air in the mediastinum in the absence of any surgical
Conflicts of interest
All authors have none to declare.
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Doctor, me duele el pecho después de hacer pesas
2024, FMC Formacion Medica Continuada en Atencion PrimariaClinical Significance of Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum
2017, Annals of Thoracic SurgeryCitation Excerpt :Although asthma may be a risk factor for SPM, it does not seem to affect the rate of development of esophageal rupture. Patients who have esophageal perforation secondary to Boerhaave’s syndrome can present with retrosternal chest pain and subcutaneous emphysema [15]. Chest imaging often shows subcutaneous emphysema, pleural effusion, pneumomediastinum, and pneumothorax.
A 39-year-old woman with cervicofacial and mediastinal emphysema 10 hours after an elective lower molar dental extraction
2021, American Journal of Case Reports