This case study presents a rare case of a 29-year-old woman with spontaneous pneumomediastinum who was treated in the emergency department for subjective dyspnea, rhinitis, and a subjectively reported increasing swelling of the throat. The clinical presentation was only characterized by crepitus in the neck and supraclavicular areas. CT scan of the neck and chest revealed massive emphysema of the soft tissues of the neck, chest, the right side of the face, and pneumomediastinum extending to the diaphragm. Based on the clinical presentation and imaging findings, which were consulted with thoracic surgeons, we assessed the condition as benign spontaneous pneumomediastinum. The patient was treated conservatively and discharged from the hospital on the third day of hospitalization with the need of aftercare.
Keyphrases
- rare case
- emergency department
- computed tomography
- case report
- healthcare
- high resolution
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- spinal cord
- magnetic resonance imaging
- image quality
- mechanical ventilation
- intensive care unit
- single cell
- positron emission tomography
- magnetic resonance
- lung function
- depressive symptoms
- palliative care
- cystic fibrosis
- electronic health record
- advanced cancer