[Subcutaneous emphysema--mediastinal emphysema, pneumothorax, complicating tracheotomy or foreign bodies in the airway].
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A 41-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic because of an acute subdural hematoma. After an emergency operation her neurological status improved with an increase in the Glasgow Coma Scale score from 6 to 11. On the second postoperative day she developed frequent episodes of clonic convulsive seizures localized in the face and the left upper extremity, and her level of consciousness deteriorated. Next day she was transnasally intubated for respiratory management, but no mechanical ventilation was required. While she was undergoing the CT scanning 5 days after intubation, respiratory arrest and cyanosis developed all of a sudden, and her face and neck became swollen. The chest x-ray revealed a marked subcutaneous emphysema, mediastinal emphysema and bilateral pneumothorax. CT at that time showed a diffuse low density area in the right hemisphere, and a marked midline shift returned. She did not regain consciousness and died 12 days after the incident. At autopsy an ulcer was observed in the wall of the trachea, where the tip or the cuff of the transnasal tracheal tube was supposed to be present. No perforation, however, was there. Case 2: A 75-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of SAH. In hospital course she was also transnasally intubated and required no mechanical ventilation. When she was undergoing the CT scanning 3 days after intubation, she developed subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema similarly to case 1. Although it is reported to be not a rare complication in patients on a mechanical ventilator, subcutaneous emphysema or pneumothorax is extremely rare in those intubated patients with spontaneous respiration. The mechanism of these complications in these cases is briefly discussed.
Mediastinal emphysema developed in a 13-year-old boy with diffuse interstitial pulmonary disease, later proved to be sarcoid. No previous report was found.
The traumatic mediastinal emphysema occurs along with severe combined injuries. A typical feature is the subcutaneous emphysema as well as crackling sounds and frequently a pneumothorax. The radiography of the chest shows air in the mediastinum surrounding the mediastinal structures. The pleura drainage could be done as an emergency performance in cases of pneumothorax. In cases of an increasing subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema as well as circulatory failure a cervical mediastinotomy should be carried out. The tracheobronchial tree should be examined bronchoscopically for possible ruptures. Esophagus injuries will be detected by the distribution of a contrast fluid. Even a thoracotomy may be necessary.
Mediastinal emphysema following facial trauma in the absence of neck, chest or abdominal injury is a rare entity. Mediastinal emphysema associated with fractures of the facial bones or odontological surgery has only been reviewed previously in case reports. This article reviews the etiological and pathogenetic mechanisms of subcutaneous facial/cervical emphysema and mediastinal emphysema associated with fractures of the facial bones. Complications and risk factors in treating fractures of the facial bones when mediastinal emphysema is present are discussed with emphasis on anaesthesiological complications.
A case of extensive subcutaneous emphysema, retropneumoperitoneum and mediastinal emphysema is described. The mediastinal emphysema was associated with signs and symptoms of pericardial tamponade, and previously undocumented ECG changes, consistent with acute pericarditis, were noted.
The first case of spontaneous mediastinal emphysema was reported by Hamman et al. in 1939. It is a rare condition that primarily occurs in young adults. In many instances, spontaneous mediastinal emphysema is caused by yelling, shouting or active exercise, but the cause is often unknown. It is rare for cases of spontaneous mediastinal emphysema to recur. Recently, we experienced a recurrent case of spontaneous mediastinal emphysema in a patient with a duodenal ulcer. Vomiting appeared to be the cause of the recurrence in our patient. Of the 58 patients with spontaneous mediastinal emphysema who have been reported in Japan so far, recurrences were documented only in our patient and two others.
Subcutaneous cervical and mediastinal emphysema usually can occurs as a result of surgery or trauma. Spontaneous cervical subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum, occurring in the absence of previous disorders or provocating factors, is very rare. The following case report of spontaneous cervical and mediastinal emphysema is assumed to be the first of its kind in Korea. The patient has been followed up for three years without recurrence or sequelae.
Patients with mediastinal emphysema and free air in the cervical region often present to an emergency medicine department, where an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon may be consulted for a surgical opinion. These occasions underscore the necessity that the disease be thoroughly understood and that conservative management be executed. Two patients with asthma, a 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man, were found on roentgenograms to have retropharyngeal free air and mediastinal emphysema. They were treated conservatively, and both recovered rapidly.
Neither pneumothorax or mediastinal emphysema are well recognized pulmonary manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We describe a 41-year-old woman with severe lupus pneumonitis complicated by recurrent pneumothoraces and mediastinal emphysema. Other features of SLE were minimal. She died of progressive respiratory failure. Autopsy revealed innumerable blebs in both lungs responsible for the pneumothoraces and mediastinal emphysema. Both pneumothoraces and mediastinal emphysema occurred during a course of corticosteroid therapy. The course of her illness was unaffected by treatments that included high dose corticosteroids, immunosuppressives and plasmapheresis. Better medical treatment for these lupus complications should be sought in addition to surgery.
Cervical mediastinic emphysema usually does not demand emergency procedures: nevertheless its ethiology must be promptly assessed though his achievement may prove less than easy owing the vague clinical presentation and to the limits imposed by regional topography. Among the possible etiologic factors one should take into account the rare abdominal source too. Indeed the cervical region is connected to the retroperitoneal space through a virtual "visceral space" via the thoracic cavity and some diaphragmatic break-throughs variable in size. The communication allows, in some pathologic conditions, the unopposed circulation of air and fluids. Our interest in the topic is due to the occurrence of a cervical mediastinic emphysema in a patient suffering from a colonic perforation.
A mediastinal emphysema was seen via x-ray film in 35 of 40 patients after opening of the mediastinum by longitudinal sternotomy. After about a week it was found in approximately every second patient; after 14 days it had been fully absorbed by all patients. Mediastinal emphysema could occur in conjunction with a cutaneous emphysema, and pneumothorax, respectively. Occasionally a pneumopericardium is seen even in the recumbent patient. Safe diagnosis of mediastinal emphysema is possible in the anterior lower mediastinum projected on to the cardiac silhouette if the x-ray film is taken obliquely.
We encountered 6 patients with bronchial asthma complicated by mediastinal emphysema. Their average age was 21 years. All were atopic and had histories of asthma in childhood. In 5 of the 6, mediastinal emphysema developed when the patients had upper respiratory infections. In 3, the mediastinal emphysema worsened. After insertion of subcutaneous drains to decrease intramediastinal pressure, the conditions of those 3 patients improved remarkably. The conditions of the other 3 improved after medication only. During the period of this study, 1.24% of all patients treated at Hiroshima Asa Citizen's Hospital for exacerbations of asthma had mediastinal emphysema.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the difference in the clinical features of mediastinal emphysema as classified into three groups based on etiology; patients in whom it was spontaneous with unknown etiology (A group), those in whom it was secondary to bronchial asthma (B group), and those in whom it was secondary with other respiratory diseases (C group). PATIENTS: Forty-three cases (45 episodes) with mediastinal emphysema treated at Kawasaki Medical School Kawasaki Hospital between April 1985 and March 2000 (A group: 17 cases, B group: 17 cases, C group: 9 cases). RESULTS: The average ages of the A and B groups were of little significance. Most of the patients in the A group were males with a thin body. Three patients in the A group had episodes of pneumothorax or mediastinal emphysema in their past history. Five patients in the A group had Hamman's sign on physical examination. In all of the patients in the C group, mediastinal emphysema was accompanied by subcutaneous emphysema, whereas only eight patients in the A group had subcutaneous emphysema. The prognosis was good for A and B groups because the mediastinal emphysema disappeared within 10 days, but was poor in the C group because its disappearance was very late compared with that in the other two groups and skin incision was required in three patients in the C group due to severe subcutaneous emphysema. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that the existance and kind of underlying diseases significantly affect the method of treatment and the prognosis.
Several cases of spontaneous mediastinal emphysema have been seen and treated at two Air Force Hospitals. All have responded to nonsurgical treatment, and have been returned to normal duty or school.
The association of pneumothorax and mediastinal emphysema in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been described extensively in the literature. We describe a 36 year-old man with SLE, complicated by bilateral pneumothorax, mediastinal emphysema and pneumoperitoneum. Despite the treatment received, he died of respiratory failure.
A case of spontaneous mediastinal emphysema (Hamman's syndrome) is described. The patient was a 21-year-old man, who had a sudden onset of substernal chest pain at rest associated with typical findings of Hamman's syndrome: subcutaneous emphysema of the neck, a precordial crunching sound synchronous with the heart beat and air in the mediastinum on chest x-ray. He recovered uneventfully. The pathogenesis and clinical picture of this rare condition are discussed.
Paraquat intoxication is a common medical problem in this country. The mortality is high, particularly in the cases of high dose ingestion. Mediastinal emphysema observed in paraquat intoxication always means mortality, however, we experienced a survivor. A 29 y/o female ingested about 10-15 c.c. of 24% (2.4-3.6 gm) paraquat to attempt suicide. Nausea and protracted vomiting occurred shortly after. During hospitalization, mediastinal emphysema developed on the 7th day and subsided 10 days later. Serum paraquat level determination revealed 185 ng/ml in 20 hours after ingestion and 34 ng/ml on the 6th day. She received general supportive treatments with the augmentation of sodium thiosulfate. Hypokalemia had been observed for 11 days and was intractable until hypomagnesemia was identified and corrected. So far, she had returned back to her work for more than 1 year, although the chest x-ray revealed slight pulmonary fibrosis. The high ingested dose, oral ulcers, high serum level and mediastinal emphysema of this patient all implicate a poor prognosis of paraquat intoxication; however, these contradict the observed survival of our patient. In conclusion, mediastinal emphysema observed in paraquat intoxication is not related to the serum level of paraquat. It does not absolutely lead to death and may simply come from the esophageal rupture after vigorous vomiting in paraquat intoxication.