Spontaneous pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium in a young male with asthma.

INTRODUCTION: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum with pneumopericardium is an uncommon clinical entity. CASE STUDY: Here, we report the case of a 23-year-old male with asthma who presented with acute chest pain and shortness of breath after an episode of coughing and sneezing. CT scans of the chest and neck revealed pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium with extensive subcutaneous emphysema extending into the axilla and neck. RESULTS: The patient was admitted for observation and analgesia. No other interventions were administered. Interval scans performed on day five of the admission demonstrated an interval reduction in the degree of air within the mediastinum, pericardium and subcutaneous tissues, and the patient was subsequently discharged home. CONCLUSION: This case outlines the presentation, diagnosis, and management of concurrent spontaneous pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium.

An unusual case of abdominal pain: psychogenic vomiting complicated by spontaneous pneumomediastinum.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) was defined by the appearance of free air in the mediastinum that was not preceded by trauma, surgery, or other medical procedures. Among the numerous manifestations of SPM, abdominal pain had seldom been described. CASE PRESENTATION: A 25-year-old man presented to the emergency department with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain for 7 days. The presenting clinical features and the radiological results were suggestive of psychogenic vomiting with spontaneous pneumomediastinum in a patient who suffered from abdominal pain. CONCLUSIONS: The special feature of this case was the elucidation of a rare cause of abdominal pain, which should be differentiated in patients with vomiting combined with abdominal pain. The importance of this case was that its recognition may prevent unnecessary procedures to rule out or treat other causes of abdominal pain.

Management of Air Leaks in the Newborn.

BACKGROUND: Air leaks, especially pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE), are increasingly uncommon respiratory complications of the newborn. Despite PIE having a decreasing incidence, it continues to have a high morbidity and mortality rate. This makes PIE one of the most severe respiratory complications to affect a newborn. Air leaks occur when there is overdistension of the terminal airways or alveoli, which results in air dissecting into extra-alveolar spaces. Recognizing the signs of air leaks is paramount to allow for appropriate diagnosis and treatment of the newborn to improve morbidity and mortality. Treatment modalities range from positioning the newborn in the decubitus position to surgical intervention. PURPOSE: To summarize current evidence on the pathophysiology, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and management of PIE and pneumothorax. DATA SOURCES: Two databases were systematically reviewed with key words later. Articles in English with date restrictions from 2016 to current were included. STUDY SELECTION: Inclusion criteria of randomized controlled trials, case studies/reports, and review articles were utilized. Twenty articles, primarily case reports and studies, were reviewed. DATA EXTRACTION: Guidelines for data abstraction were followed via independent extraction by a single observer. RESULTS: Qualitative results were utilized to formulate current treatment of air leaks. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This article provides guidance for frontline neonatal providers on current treatment and management of air leaks in the newborn population.

Spontaneous Pneumothorax in Patients of COVID 19 Pneumonia.

COVID 19 pandemic has put a massive strain on healthcare all over the world. Every day new data is getting released and various complications are being reported in patients of COVID 19 Pneumonia. One such complication is pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum. Both these conditions can lead to an increase in mortality and morbidity in patients with COVID 19 pneumonia. We studied 476 patients of COVID 19 pneumonia at our hospital, out of which 18 (3.78%) had developed pneumothorax and/or pneumomediastinum. While most of these patients were on some form of positive pressure ventilation (invasive/non-invasive), some of them had a HRCT Chest suggestive of either air trapping and/or cyst formation. Three patients had developed bilateral pneumothorax while on non-invasive ventilator. Nine of the 18 patients expired and nine were discharged.Through this article, we would like to emphasize that an acute deterioration in hypoxemia in a COVID-19 patient could indicate a pneumothorax. Pneumothorax as well as pulmonary thromboembolism are reported complications in COVID-19 and clinician vigilance is required during assessment of patients, as both share the common symptom of breathlessness and therefore can mimic each other.

Pneumomediastinum: A Rare Complication of Endobronchial Ultrasound Guided Fine Needle Aspiration.

Endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a commonly performed outpatient procedure used for the diagnosis, staging of lung cancer, and the evaluation of thoracic lymphadenopathy of unknown origin. With the advent of this minimally invasive technology, mediastinoscopy, once the gold standard, has fallen out of favour. Pneumomediastinum is a rare complication of EBUS-TBNA and can often be managed conservatively. We present a case of a 52-year-old female who developed pneumomediastinum following EBUS-TBNA and improved with expectant management in the emergency department. We discuss the proposed pathophysiology of this rare occurrence that usually follows a benign course. Severe complications, such as mediastinitis and tracheal tear, need to be excluded promptly.

Massive Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum-A Form of Presentation for Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia.

For COVID-19 pneumonia, many manifestations such as fever, dyspnea, dry cough, anosmia and tiredness have been described, but differences have been observed from person to person according to age, pulmonary function, damage and severity. In clinical practice, it has been found that patients with severe forms of infection with COVID-19 develop serious complications, including pneumomediastinum. Although two years have passed since the beginning of the pandemic with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and progress has been made in understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the COVID-19 infection, there are also unknown factors that contribute to the evolution of the disease and can lead to the emergence some complications. In this case report, we present a patient with COVID-19 infection who developed a massive spontaneous pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema during hospitalization, with no pre-existing lung pathology and no history of smoking. The patient did not get mechanical ventilation or chest trauma, but the possible cause could be severe alveolar inflammation. The CT results highlighted pneumonia in context with SARS-CoV-2 infection affecting about 50% of the pulmonary area. During hospitalization, lung lesions evolved 80% pulmonary damage associated with pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema. After three months, the patient completely recovered and the pneumomediastinum fully recovered with the complete disappearance of the lesions. Pneumomediastinum is a severe and rare complication in COVID-19 pneumonia, especially in male patients, without risk factors, and an early diagnosis can increase the chances of survival.

Chest pain from pneumologist point of view.

Chest pain is one of the most common symptoms encountered by doctors working in acute, internal, and pulmonary clinics. In the United States in 2006, 10 percent of all visits to the emergency room were caused by diseases of the respiratory system, and chest pain was the most common symptom. The most common situations that can cause chest pain with an emphasis on their diagnosis and early treatment are chest infections, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and tumors affecting the pleural cavity.

[Pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema as complica-tions of COVID-19].

Spontaneous pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema are serious complications of COVID-19 infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, occurring in approximately 1% of hospitalized patients. The risk increases with the accumulation of risk factors, namely moderate or severe illness, high-flow oxygen therapy and noninvasive ventilation. The pathophysiology may be contributed to by patient self-inflicted lung injury. Hypoxia-induced respiratory effort in patients with pneumonia puts an enormous load on certain parts of their lungs, leading to subsequent progression of lung tissue damage. These complications start with destruction of the alveolar membrane, accompanied by emergence of a pulmonary bulla. Rupture of the bulla results in air leaking to the pleural space (pneumothorax). In the case of pneumomediastinum, the air spreads within the peribronchial interstitium along the airways to the mediastinum and subcutaneous tissues (Macklin effect). While pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema resolve spontaneously in most cases, pneumothorax treatment depends on its magnitude. While small pneumothorax may be managed conservatively, large pneumothorax usually requires active treatment with an acute chest drain; the latter is also associated with worse prognosis and a higher chance of death. We report air-leak complications in nine COVID-19 patients, of whom seven had spontaneous pneumothorax and four of them died. Three patients developed spontaneous pneumomediastinum together with subcutaneous emphysema, with two of them surviving. One patient with combination of pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema died. These complications may accompany moderate or severe COVID-19-associated pneumonia, mostly the late phase of the disease. They should be considered when patients complain of sudden chest or back pain or worsening respiratory insufficiency.

Pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome.

COVID-19 has involved numerous countries across the globe and the disease burden, susceptible age group; mortality rate has been variable depending on the demographical profile, economic status, and health care infrastructure. In the current clinical environment, COVID-19 is one of the most important clinical differential diagnoses in patients presenting with respiratory symptoms. The optimal mechanical ventilation strategy for these patients has been a constant topic of discussion and very importantly so, since a great majority of these patients require invasive mechanical ventilation and often for an extended period of time. In this report we highlight our experience with a COVID-19 patient who most likely suffered barotrauma either as a result of traumatic endotracheal intubation or primarily due to COVID-19 itself. We also aim to highlight the current literature available to suggest the management strategy for these patients for a favorable outcome. The cases described are diverse in terms of age variance and other comorbidities. According to the literature, certain patients, with COVID-19 disease and spontaneous pneumothorax were noted to be managed conservatively and oxygen supplementation with nasal cannula sufficed. Decision regarding need and escalation to invasive mechanical ventilation should be taken early in the disease to avoid complications such as patient self-inflicted lung injury (P-SILI) and barotrauma sequelae such as pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum Recent systematic review further supports the fact that the use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in certain patients with COVID-19 pneumonia may give a false sense of security and clinical stabilization but has no overall benefit to avoid intubation. While invasive mechanical ventilation may be associated with higher rates of barotrauma, this should not mean that intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation should be delayed. This becomes an important consideration when non-intensivists or personnel with less experience provide care for this vulnerable patient population who may rely too heavily on NIV to avoid intubation and mechanical ventilation.

Pneumomediastinum as a complication of COVID-19 disease: A case report.

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, awareness of uncommon presentations of the disease increases. Such is the case with pneumomediastinum. Recent evidence has suggested that these can occur in the context of COVID19 pneumonia, even in the absence of mechanical ventilation-related barotrauma. We present a patient with COVID-19 pneumonia complicated by pneumomediastinum.

[Pneumomediastinum in patients with a novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19)]. / Pnevmomediastinum u bol'nykh s koronavirusnoi infektsiei (COVID-19).

OBJECTIVE: To determine the optimal management of pneumomediastinum in patients with a novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were 14 patients with pneumomediastinum and COVID-19 infection without mechanical ventilation. We discussed the world data on pneumomediastinum in patients with coronavirus infection. RESULTS: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual number of own observations of spontaneous pneumomediastinum did not exceed 1-2 patients. The mechanism of pneumomediastinum is explained by the Macklin effect. COVID-19 pandemic in the Russian Federation was followed by increase of the number of patients with pneumomediastinum up to 2.4% of the total number of patients in the thoracic department. In this sample, pneumomediastinum occurred at all variants of the course of coronavirus infection. The timing of pneumomediastinum ranged from 2 to 18 (median 14) days after clinical manifestation of COVID-19. In 2 out of 14 cases, pneumomediastinum was the main symptom of coronavirus infection at admission. One patient had a combination of pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax. In 6 cases, pneumomediastinum was stable and regressed under conservative therapy. Eight patients underwent Razumovsky suprajugular mediastinotomy. There were no postoperative deaths. Recurrent pneumomediastinum was noted in one patient. CONCLUSION: The causes of pneumomediastinum in some patients with coronavirus infection, peculiarities of diagnosis and treatment and clarification of indications for invasive interventions require further study.

Predictive Factors of Postendoscopic Submucosal Dissection Electrocoagulation Syndrome and the Utility of Computed Tomography Scan after Esophageal Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recently, postendoscopic submucosal dissection electrocoagulation syndrome (PEECS) has attracted attention. However, the criteria for computed tomography (CT) scanning following esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) are unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify the predictive factors of PEECS and the usefulness of CT scanning after esophageal ESD. METHODS: A total of 245 lesions in 223 patients who underwent esophageal ESD between February 2008 and October 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with double cancers, those who experienced procedural accidents, such as aspiration pneumonitis or perforation, and those who were unable to undergo CT were excluded from the study. PEECS evaluation items included body temperature (≤37.7°C = 1 point, ≥37.8°C = 2 points), white blood cell count (<10,800/µL = 1 point, ≥10,800/µL = 2 points), and chest pain (numerical rating scale [NRS] ≤4 = 1 point, NRS ≥5 = 2 points). Scores of ≥5 points were categorized as the PEECS-positive group, and scores of ≤4 points were categorized as the PEECS-negative group. The degree of mediastinal emphysema on CT was stratified into 5 grades, in which grades 0 and 1 were considered as the "low-grade" group, and grades 2, 3, and 4 were considered as the "high-grade" group. We analyzed the prognostic factors of high-grade mediastinal emphysema, including the presence or absence of PEECS. RESULTS: The PEECS-positive group comprised 18 out of the 163 patients (11.0%), and mediastinal emphysema was stratified into grades 0 (94), 1 (51), 2 (12), 3 (5), and 4 (1 patient). Three independent risk factors for the onset of PEECS were identified, as follows: resected area ≥750 mm2 (OR 7.28, 95% CI 1.42-37.33, p = 0.017), treatment duration ≥75 min (OR 10.26, 95% CI 1.20-87.77, p = 0.034), and muscle layer exposure (OR 10.92, 95% CI 2.22-53.74, p = 0.003). Two independent predictive factors of high-grade mediastinal emphysema were identified, which were PEECS positivity (OR 4.31, 95% CI 1.29-14.41, p = 0.018), and muscle layer exposure (OR 4.08, 95% CI 1.18-14.06, p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: A large resected area, prolonged treatment duration, and muscle layer exposure are risk factors for the onset of PEECS. Mediastinal emphysema was observed in 43% of patients following ESD. When marked clinical symptoms of PEECS appear, high-grade mediastinal emphysema may be observed, and therefore CT should be performed in these cases.

COVID-19 pneumonia and pneumothorax: case series.

Barotrauma is a commonly reported complication in critically ill patients with ARDS caused by different etiologies, it's rate is reported to be around %10. Pneumothorax/pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 patients seem to be more common and have different clinical characteristics. Here we report 9 patients who had pneumothorax and/or pneumomediastinum during their stay in the ICU. Patients who were admitted to ICU between March 2020 and December 2020, were reviewed for presence of pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema during their ICU stay. Demographic characteristics, mechanical ventilation settings, documented ventilation parameters, outcomes were studied. A total of 161 patients were admitted to ICU during the study period, 96 were invasively ventilated. Nine patients had developed pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and/or subcutaneous emphysema during their admission. Five of them were men and median age was 66.6 years. All patients were intubated and mechanically ventilated. All patients were managed conservatively. One patient was discharged from ICU, the others were lost due to other complications related to COVID-19. Upon detection of pneumothorax and/or mediastinum all patients were managed conservatively by limiting their PEEP and maximum inspiratory pressures and were followed by daily chest X-rays (CXR) for detection of any progress. None of the patients showed increase in size of their pneumothorax and/or pneumomediastinum. Hemodynamically instability due to pneumothorax and/or pneumomediastinum was not observed in any of the patients. Tension pneumothorax was not observed in any of the patients. Most common reason for death was sepsis due to secondary bacterial infections. Acute deterioration with rapid oxygen desaturation or palpation of crepitation over thorax and neck in a COVID-19 patient should prompt a search for pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum. Conservative management may be an option as long as the patients are stable.

[Hamman's Syndrome (Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum)].

The authors present the case of a previously healthy, 22-year-old male nonsmoker who sought emergency room treatment complaining of retrosternal pain. He reported a history of odynophagia two days before, followed by produc- tive cough, fever and dyspnea. On chest radiography, a line could be observed surrounding the heart and the continuous diaphragm sign. The chest computed tomography scan confirmed the presence of pneumomediastinum and soft tissue emphysema. The case was discussed in a multidisciplinary team, and the possibility of surgical intervention was rejected. Conservative treatment was decided with complete resolution of the pneumomediastinum.

A national survey on esophageal perforation: study of cases at accredited institutions by the Japanese Esophagus Society.

OBJECTIVE: To get a clear view of the current state of treatment for esophageal perforation in Japan. Esophagus perforations are the most serious gastrointestinal tract perforations and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. The optimal treatment choice remains unknown. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective clinical review of 182 esophageal perforation cases at 108 hospitals accredited by the Japanese Esophageal Society between January 2010 and December 2015. RESULTS: We found that 20.9% of patients were incorrectly diagnosed initially. We observed mediastinum emphysema in 83.5% of patients, and serious abscess formations of the mediastinum and intrathoracic cavity in 38.6% and 29.6%, respectively. The lower esophagus was the most commonly perforated site (77.7%). Management of esophageal perforations included nonoperative treatment in 20 patients (11%) and operative treatment in 162 patients (89%). The overall mortality rate was 6.9%. The survivors had significantly shorter times from symptom appearance to visit (p = 0.0016), and from time to visit to diagnosis confirmation (p = 0.0011). Moreover, patients older than 65 years, white blood cells less than 3000/mm3, C-reactive protein > 10 mg/L, or abscesses in the thoracic cavity showed significantly higher mortality than others. CONCLUSION: Shortening the time from onset to the start of treatment contributes to reduce mortality in patients with esophageal perforation. Moreover, strict medical treatment is necessary to lower the mortality rate of elderly patients with strong inflammation and abscesses in the thoracic cavity.

Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum in Connective Tissue Diseases.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SP) is an uncommon disorder but has been described in cases with connective tissue diseases (CTDs), most commonly dermatomyositis and polymyositis. We aimed to explore this relationship by analyzing the characteristics of CTD patients with SP. METHODS: Using a computer-assisted search, we identified 25 patients with CTD and SP evaluated between January 1997 and December 2016 at our institution. Clinicoradiologic characteristics, treatment, and outcomes were extracted and chest computed tomography studies analyzed. RESULTS: We identified 25 patients with CTD and SP. Median (range) age at SP occurrence was 55 (18-82) years, and 60% of the patients were women. Smoking history was present in 37%. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum was symptomatic in 56% of patients. Eighteen patients (72%) had a known CTD diagnosis, and 20 patients (80%) manifested radiologic evidence of interstitial lung disease. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum diagnosis was achieved with chest radiography in 20% of cases and chest computed tomography in the other cases. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum was managed with expectant observation alone in 22 cases (88%). Four patients (16%) had concomitant pneumothorax, 1 of whom required chest tube drainage. There were no deaths attributable to SP during the median (range) follow-up of 13 (0-174) months. Cumulative survival was 52% at 1 year and 40% at 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is an uncommon manifestation of CTD and usually occurs in the presence of interstitial lung disease. Although SP seems to be associated with a relatively benign short-term course, occurrence of SP in CTD patients may be a poor prognostic factor.

Chest pain and dyspnoea in a young primiparous woman following prolonged labour at a remote Australian community health centre.

Reported here is a rare respiratory complication in a young primiparous woman in a remote community hospital in the Northern Territory, Australia. A Caucasian primiparous woman aged 23 years presented with chest pain following a very prolonged second stage of labour. On clinical examination a crunching and crackling sound was heard over the precordium, synchronous with the heartbeat (Hamman's sign). A chest radiograph confirmed the presence of pneumomediastinum. Complete resolution of symptoms and signs was achieved with supportive management.

Cervicofacial and mediastinal emphysema after balloon eustachian tuboplasty (BET): a retrospective multicenter analysis.

PURPOSE: Balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) is a new treatment modality addressing chronic obstructive dysfunction of the Eustachian tube (ET). So far, BET has been deemed a safe procedure under general anesthesia with only minor adverse effects. However, individual cases of postoperative emphysema have been reported. In the present retrospective multicenter analysis we determined the incidence rate of this potentially life threatening complication after BET. METHODS: In total we collected data from 3,670 BET procedures performed on 2,272 patients in four tertiary care ENT departments. RESULTS: Ten cases of postoperative cervicofacial emphysema were documented, whereas only in 3 of them a pneumomediastinum was developed. None of the affected patients developed at any time serious clinical signs or symptoms besides cutaneous crepitations. A complete resolution and recovery of the emphysema occurred in all patients under antibiotic prophylaxis and abstinence from Valsalva maneuver within the first 2-6 postoperative days. CONCLUSIONS: Possible causes for the development of these postinterventional emphysemas are considered to be mucosal injuries of the ET during manipulations for the correct position of the insertion instrument, through a "kinking" of the balloon catheter or even due to the relative rigid catheter itself, although its form is regarded to be atraumatic. The complication rate of postoperative emphysema was 0.27% (95% CI 0.13-0.50%). The above facts in addition to only minor and transient overall complications after BET reported in literature, can label this procedure as a safe treatment with a low risk profile.

Concurrent Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum and Pneumorrhachis.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum with concurrent pneumorrhachis (air in the spinal canal) and subcutaneous emphysema can be an alarming presentation, both clinically and radiographically. These clinical entities often require only conservative measures after ruling out any worrisome underlying causes. Management often involves appropriate imaging, hospital admission, and sub-specialty consultation as needed to help determine any potential causes for the presentation that may require anything more than a period of medical observation. CASE REPORT: A 20-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with acute onset of chest pain. Physical examination was significant for subcutaneous emphysema across the anterior chest wall. Radiographs of the neck revealed extensive soft tissue emphysema extending into the upper mediastinum. Computed tomography (CT) of the neck with contrast revealed a small amount of air within the central canal of the spinal cord, in addition to extensive pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema. The patient remained stable and was discharged home on hospital day 2, after significant threats for morbidity or mortality were ruled out. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum, pneumorrhachis, and subcutaneous emphysema are rare clinical entities, but each requires thorough investigation in the ED to rule out any underlying life-threatening cause. A conservative treatment approach is appropriate for most patients without evidence of cardiorespiratory compromise or neurologic deficits accruing due to these problems.

Hamman's Syndrome - in Young Asthmatic Female.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is a rare condition where there is presence of air in the mediastinum without any precipitating trauma, surgery or other conditions. It usually develops after alveolar rupture and air penetration into the pulmonary interstitium, the hilum and the mediastinum. It is commonly seen in young males, asthmatics on inhalational drugs, or following severe vomiting, parturition, weight lifting. A young female, known case of bronchial asthma presented to us with history of breathlessness and cough of 3 days and mild swelling of the face and neck of 2 days duration. On examination, she was dyspneic, had subcutaneous swelling of the face, neck and chest bilaterally with palpable crepitus. Respiratory examination showed diffuse polyphonic rhonchi and crepitations. CT thorax showed pneumomediastinum, pneumoperitoneum, pneumothorax and pneumorrhachis. A diagnosis of Hamman's syndrome was made and patient was treated symptomatically and recovered.