Spontaneous pneumomediastinum. Case report
Introduction: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is defined as the presence of air in the mediastinum. It is a rare entity considered benign and self-limiting, which mostly affects young adults. Its diagnosis is confirmed through clinical and radiological studies. Case description: 21-year-old ma...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Universidad Nacional de Colombia
2017-07-01
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| Series: | Case Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/care/article/view/60485 |
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| Summary: | Introduction: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is defined as the presence of air in the mediastinum. It is a rare entity considered benign and self-limiting, which mostly affects young adults. Its diagnosis is confirmed through clinical and radiological studies.
Case description: 21-year-old male patient with cough and greenish expectoration for four days, associated with dyspnea, chest pain, fever and bilateral supraclavicular subcutaneous emphysema. Chest X-ray suggested pneumomediastinum, which was confirmed by tomography. The patient was hospitalized for observation and treatment. After a positive evolution, he was discharged on the sixth day.
Discussion: SPM is a differential diagnosis in patients with chest pain and dyspnea. Its prevalence is lower than 0.01% and its mortality rate is low. It should be suspected in patients with chest pain and subcutaneous emphysema on physical examination. Between 70 and 90% of the cases can be identified by chest X-ray, while confirmation can be obtained through chest tomography. In most cases it does not require additional studies.
Conclusion: SPM is a little known cause of acute chest pain, and rarely considered as a differential diagnosis; it is self-limited and has a good prognosis.
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| ISSN: | 2462-8522 |