• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1225-1227
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• 1991

Pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema produced by air turbine dental drills, although widely reported in dental publications, are rarely reported in the thoracic journals. We report a case of 38-year-old man with pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema after use of a air turbine dental drill for dental extraction.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.275-280
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• 2001

Background : A 18 year-old man presented with dyspnea and a swelling of the neck. On physical examination, maculopapular rashes were noted on the face and the whole body and crepitus was noted at the thorax and upper arms. His chest X -ray showed bilateral interstitial infiltrates of the lung, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema. On serologic examination, measles IgM was positive. Under the diagnosis of measles pneumonia, the patient was treated with oral ribavirin, which resulted in a complete resolution of the pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema, pneumonic infiltrate, and subjective symptoms of dyspnea and swelling of the neck in 7 days. Here we report this case with a brief review of the relevant literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.791-794
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• 2008

Pneumomediastinum is a rare, but well recognized complication of bleomycin-induced lung toxicity. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum has to be considered as one of the causes when the dyspnea becomes aggravated in patients with bleomycin induced lung toxicity. We describe here two patients who suffered with germ cell tumor and they developed spontaneous pneumomediastinum without pneumothorax, and this was caused by bleomycin-induced lung toxicity.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.704-709
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• 2001

Background : Spontaneous pneumopericardium is a very rare condition. Spontaneous pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum have been reported to be associated with an idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, spontaneous pneumopericardium has not yet been reported in association with IPF. Here we report a case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium in a patient with acute exacerbation of IPF with a review of the relevant literature.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.696-699
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• 2005

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum(SPM) is an uncommon disease that is defined as the nontraumatic presence of free air in the mediastinum without any apparent underlying disease. We report a case of recurrent spontaneous pneumomediastinum without any direct precipitating cause. A 21-year-old woman was admitted to hospital suffering from chest pain that occurred during walking (?). She had previously been well. She did not complain of cough or vomiting prior to this presentation. Upon admission, the physical examination and Electrocardiogram findings were normal. The chest x-ray and chest computed-tomography showed a pneumomediastinum. She was successfully managed conservatively. Twenty seven months later, she was readmitted with chest pain, which again occurred during the same activity. The recurrent SPM was confirmed by the chest x-ray and chest computed-tomography. She was managed in the same manner as before and made an uneventful recovery. This is the first case of recurrent SPM in Korea.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.244-247
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• 2010

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in the absence of predisposing risk factors has been rarely observed in full-term neonates. A 3-day-old neonate, delivered vaginally at term without any perinatal complications or signs of respiratory difficulty, was referred to the Seoul National University Children's Hospital because of reduced heart sound detected during routine neonatal examination. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed air collection in the anterior mediastinum. The baby developed respiratory distress on the fourth day and required supplemental oxygen. On the seventh day, there was no sign of respiratory difficulty, and x-ray examination showed no demonstrable pneumomediastinum. Hence, careful neonatal physical examination is essential during the postnatal assessment of newborns, and spontaneous pneumomediastinum should be considered when a healthy newborn presents with reduced heart sound.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.202-207
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• 1994

Subcutaneous emphysema on the head, neck, and pneumomediastinum are, abnomal but well-documented, presence of air in the subcutaneous tissue and mediastinum, and can be diagnosed by palpation of the soft tissues, lateral or crosstable cervical radiograph and upright chest radiograph. The common clinical features of cervical emphysema and pneumomediastinum were facial and cervical swelling, presence of crepitation on palpation of the soft tissue, and retrosternal pain. Subcutaneous emphysema may arise from use of high-speed air turbine drills, facial trauma, trachea bronchial tear, endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, chest injury, tracheostomy, following Lefort I osteotomy, and spontaneously. Symptoms of subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastium are generally self-limiting and eventually subside with conservative therapy. As we report a case of traumatic subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum after facial injury with clinical presentation and treatment consideration.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.49-52
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• 2017

Subcutaneous facial emphysema after dental treatment is an uncommon complication caused by the invasion of high-pressure air; in severe cases, it can spread to the neck, mediastinum, and thorax, resulting in cervical emphysema, pneumomediastinum, and pneumothorax. The present case showed subcutaneous cervicofacial emphysema with pneumomediastinum after class V restoration. The patient was fully recovered after eight days of conservative treatment. The cause of this case was the penetration of high-pressure air through the gingival sulcus, which had a weakened gingival attachment. This case indicated that dentists should be careful to prevent subcutaneous emphysema during common dental treatments using a high-speed hand piece and gingival retraction cord.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2014

Subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum is a relatively uncommon phenomenon. It may occur secondary to dental treatment using high-speed air turbine handpieces, especially after extraction of tooth. Subcutaneous emphysema is often limited only to the areas of head and neck, but also can involve deeper structures. Thorough examination and conservative treatment of these problems are essential in preventing life-threatening complications such as airway obstruction and mediastinitis. The subject of this report is a 57-year-old woman with subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum during the extraction of maxillary third molar using high-speed air turbine handpiece. If there isn't any appropriate measure, severe complications may occur. Therefore it is important to be well-informed of proper diagnosis and treatment. This article shall present a case report with literature review.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.663-668
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• 2010

Background: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is an uncommon disorder with few cases reported. It usually occurs in young males and has benign self-limiting course without any apparent concomitant factor. It is seen after intrathoracic pressure changes leading to alveolar rupture. The clinical experiences of two medical centers were reviewed to aid in optimal management. Material and Method: Retrospective review between March 2003 and August 2010 with spontaneous pneumomediastinum patients was performed. Result: 24 patients were identified with a diagnosis of spontaneous pneumomediastinum. These 24 patients were comprised of 18 men and 6 women with mean age 18.9 years (range 10 ~ 33). The major initial complaints were chest pain (79.2%), throat pain (62.5%), and subcutaneous emphysema (41.7%). The triggering events were exercise (16.7%), coughing (12.5%) and vomiting (12.5%). No apparent triggering event was noted in 54.2% of patients. In all cases, chest radiograph and computed tomography was done. Diagnostic computed tomography was required in 25%. White blood cell counts and C-reactive protein (CRP) were checked, and their initial mean values were $9,790{\pm}3,240/{\mu}L$ Land $1.31{\pm}1.71mg/dL$, final mean values were $5,440{\pm}1,665/{\mu}L$ Land $0.72{\pm}0.73mg/dL$, respectively. 23 patients were admitted (average $5.0{\pm}1.8$) and the symptoms were self-limiting in all cases without complications. Conclusion: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a benign condition with mild inflammatory signs that often presents with chest or throat pain. Secondary causes must be ruled out to avoid an unfavorable outcome with less invasive study. Because of very rare complications and recurrence, outpatient basis and shortened hospitalization may be feasible.