Pneumomediastinum: A Case Report
Abstract
Pneumomediastinum, also known as Mediastinal Emphysema, is defined as having free air or gas located in the mediastinum. Patients have symptoms of emphysema, dysphagia, vomiting, shortness of breath, coughing, and pain in the chest area. There are several precipitating factors or etiologies that can be associated as either intrathoracic/secondary pneumomediastinum or extrathoracic/spontaneous pneumomediastinum. Spontaneous or secondary pneumomediastinum triggers can range from asthma, use of recreational drugs, excessive vomiting, child-bearing, chest and lung infectious disease, forced pressure to the lungs such as Valsalva maneuver, ruptured alveoli, iatrogenic manipulation during wisdom tooth extractions, and blunt trauma towards the neck and chest area.
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