Pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium in an adolescent with asthma attacks. case report

ABSTRACT Introduction: Pneumomediastinum is defined as the presence of air in the mediastinal cavity. This is a rare disease caused by surgical procedures, trauma or spontaneous scape of air from the lungs; asthma is a frequently associated factor. It has extensive differential diagnoses due to its symptoms and clinical signs. Case presentation: A 17-year-old female patient presented with respiratory symptoms for 2 days, dyspnea, chest pain radiated to the neck and shoulders, right supraclavicular subcutaneous emphysema, wheezing in both lung fields, tachycardia and tachypnea. On admission, laboratory tests revealed leukocytosis and neutrophilia, and chest X-ray showed subcutaneous emphysema in the right supraclavicular region. Diagnosis of pneumomediastinum was confirmed through a CT scan of the chest. The patient was admitted for treatment with satisfactory evolution. Discussion: Pneumomediastinum occurs mainly in young patients with asthma, and is associated with its exacerbation. This condition can cause other complications such as pneumopericardium, as in this case. The course of the disease is usually benign and has a good prognosis. Conclusion: Because of its presentation, pneumomediastinum requires clinical suspicion to guide the diagnosis and treatment. In this context, imaging is fundamental.

RESUMEN Introducción. El neumomediastino se define como la presencia de aire en la cavidad mediastinal; esta es una enfermedad poco frecuente que puede aparecer por procedimientos quirúrgicos, traumas o espontáneamente (siendo el asma es un factor frecuentemente asociado) y que tiene amplios diagnósticos diferenciales debido a su sintomatología y signos clínicos. Presentación del caso. Paciente femenina de 17 años de edad con síntomas respiratorios de 2 días de evolución que consistían en disnea, dolor torácico irradiado a cuello y hombros, enfisema subcutáneo supraclavicular derecho, sibilancias en ambos campos pulmonares, taquicardia y taquipnea. Al ingreso, los exámenes paraclínicos evidenciaron leucocitosis y neutrofilia, y la radiografía de tórax mostró enfisema subcutáneo en la región supraclavicular derecha. Se confirmó diagnóstico de neumomediastino con tomografía axial computarizada de tórax y se hospitalizó para manejo con evolución satisfactoria. Discusión. El neumomediastino se presenta principalmente en pacientes jóvenes con asma y está asociado a la exacerbación de esta, asimismo, puede generar otras complicaciones en sitios continuos, como el neumopericardio del presente caso. El curso de la enfermedad es usualmente benigno y de buen pronóstico. Conclusión. Por su presentación, el neumomediastino requiere una importante sospecha clínica para poder orientar su diagnóstico y tratamiento; por tanto, la imagenología es fundamental.

Pneumopericardium after minimally invasive atrial septal defect closure

Minimally invasive atrial septal defect (ASD) closure is a commonly performed cardiac surgical procedure and has good outcome. We report an interesting chest X-ray showing pneumopericardium in a patient who underwent ASD closure using a minimally invasive approach.

Tension Pneumopericardium after Pericardiocentesis

Pneumopericardium is defined as the presence of air inside the pericardial space. Usually, it is reported as a complication of blunt or penetrating chest trauma, but rare iatrogenic and spontaneous cases have been reported. Pneumopericardium is relatively stable if it does not generate a tension effect on the heart. However, it may progress to tension pneumopericardium, which requires immediate pericardial aspiration. We report a case of iatrogenic pneumopericardium occurred in a 70-year-old man who presented dyspnea at emergency department. The patient underwent pericardiocentesis for cardiac tamponade due to large pericardial effusion, and iatrogenic tension pneumopericardium occurred due to misuse of the drainage device. After evacuating the pericardial air through the previously implanted catheter, the patient became stable. We report this case to increase the awareness of this fatal condition and to help increase the use of precautions against the development of this condition during emergency procedures.

Pneumopericardium: A Rare Complication of Pericardiocentesis

Pneumopericardium is defined by the presence of air in the pericardial cavity. It is a rare entity occurring most commonly after trauma. Pneumopericardium resulting after pericardiocentesis is even rarer. We report a case of 46-year-old man, with end-stage renal disease on chronic hemodialysis and who developed a large circumferential pericardial effusion of 40 mm in diastole with swinging heart and diastolic right atrium collapse requiring pericardiocentesis. Few days after, the patient complained of pleuritic chest pain and echocardiogram revealed several tiny sparkling echogenic spots swirling in the pericardial sac. Computed tomography scans revealed a marked anterior pneumopericardium that was conservatively managed.

Neumopericardio espontáneo en el recién nacido a término / Spontaneous pneumopericardium in the termed newborn

Introducción: el neumopericardio es un trastorno poco frecuente pero potencialmente grave, definido por la presencia de aire en la cavidad pericárdica. Caso clínico: se presentan dos casos de recién nacidos a término, con vías de nacimiento diferentes, que presentaron signos de dificultad respiratoria, ruidos cardiacos apagados, pulsos presentes pero disminuidos, demostrándose radiológicamente la presencia de neumomediastino y neumopericardio, así como microvoltaje en el electrocardiograma. Se egresan a los siete días de vida con una evolución favorable. Conclusiones: el neumopericardio es una situación clínica infrecuente pero posible. Requiere un alto índice de sospecha clínica ya que es causa de inestabilidad hemodinámica y amenaza vital.

Introduction: pneumopericardium is a little frequent but potentially serious disorder, defined by the presence of air in the pericardial cavity or space. Clinical case: two cases of term newborn presented, by different birth ways, with respiratory difficulty signs, low cardiac sounds, presented but diminished pulses, radiologically proving the presence of pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium, as well as microvoltage in the electrocardiogram. They were realized after seven days of life, with favorable evolution. Conclusions: pneumopericardium is a infrequent clinical situation. It requires a high index of clinical suspicion, since it constitutes a cause for hemodynamic instability and threat to life.

Pneumopericardium Caused by Gastropericardial Fistula after Use of NSAIDs in a Patient with Acute Pericarditis and Gastric Cancer / 대한내과학회지

Here, we report a case of gastropericardial fistula associated with the treatment of acute pericarditis using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the presence of gastric cancer. The patient presented with acute pericarditis with pericardial effusion that had progressed into definite gastropericardial fistula with pneumopericardium after the administration of NSAIDs. The patient improved after conservative management. Based on the current case, we advise caution when using NSAIDs to treat acute pericarditis in the presence of gastric cancer or possible gastropericardial fistula.

Negative Pressure Pulmonary Edema Together with Pneumopericardium after General Anesthesia / 대한내과학회지

Negative pressure pulmonary edema is an uncommon complication related to general anesthesia. Its main pathophysiology is excessive negative intrathoracic pressure that is caused by an acute upper airway obstruction. Pneumopericardium, the presence of air within the pericardial sac, is another rare condition. The common pathophysiology of pneumopericardium, except for that caused by blunt or penetrating trauma, is barotrauma-induced alveolar rupture caused by positive intrathoracic pressure. Here, we report the case of a 61-year old female patient with negative pulmonary edema and pneumopericardium after general anesthesia. She recovered after conservative management.

Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum, Pneumopericardium, and Pneumothorax with Respiratory Failure in a Patient with AIDS and Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia / 감염과화학요법

Spontaneous pneumothorax occurs in up to 35% of patients with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. However, spontaneous pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium are uncommon complications in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus, with no reported incidence rates, even among patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and P. jirovecii pneumonia. We report a case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium, and pneumothorax with respiratory failure during treatment of P. jirovecii pneumonia in a patient with AIDS; the P. jirovecii infection was confirmed by performing methenamine silver staining of bronchoalveolar lavage specimens. This case suggests that spontaneous pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium should be considered in patients with AIDS and P. jirovecii pneumonia.

Boerhaave Syndrome Presenting as Abrupt Onset of Massive Hydropneumothorax

Boerhaave syndrome is a rare and life-threatening disease that often presents a diagnostic challenge. It is usually confused with critical but more prevalent diseases such as acute myocardial infarction, perforated peptic ulcer, and acute pancreatitis. Boerhaave syndrome is caused by forceful vomiting resulting in a full-thickness tear of the middle or lower esophagus, typically an area of natural narrowing and at the esophagogastric junction and the left atrium. Because of these anatomic sites, hydropneumothorax, hemopneumothorax and pneumopericardium can occur. We report a case of a 48-year-old chronic alcoholic man presenting with abrupt onset of massive bilateral hydropneumothorax. In this case, it was hard to take a medical history from the patient due to sudden respiratory arrest when he arrived at the emergency room. Despite ongoing chest tube drainage, hydropneumothorax didn't improve. Pleural fluid amylase level was increased. Because of the possibility of esophageal rupture, esophagography was performed. As a result of the esophagography, he was diagnosed as Boerhaave syndrome with penumopericardium. If massive hydropneumothorax of unknown cause presents abruptly, boerhaave syndrome should be suspected as one of its causes. We recommend that pleural fluid amylase levels to be checked and if it is elevated, esophagography should be performed immediately.

Hidroneumopericardio iatrogénico tras pericardiocentesis / Iatrogenic Hidropneumopericardium after Pericardiocentesis

El hidroneumopericardio se define por la presencia de líquido y aire en la cavidad pericárdica. Se trata de una afección infrecuente en los adultos, habitualmente asociada a buen pronóstico, pero que puede resultar potencialmente grave. Presentamos el caso de un paciente trasplantado renal que debutó con taponamiento cardíaco y que precisó pericardiocentesis; varios días después, presentó un cuadro de dolor torácico debido a un hidroneumopericardio iatrogénico. Las pruebas de imagen son claves en la obtención de este diagnóstico.

Hydropneumopericardium is defined by the accumulation of serous fluid and gas in the pericardial sac. It is uncommon in adults, usually associated with favorable outcomes; yet, it may be severe occasionally. We present the case of a kidney transplant patient who developed cardiac tamponade requiring pericardiocentesis. Several days after the procedure, the patient presented chest pain due to iatrogenic hydropneumopericardium. Image tests are essential to make this diagnosis.

Pneumopericardium as a Complication of Pericardiocentesis

Pneumopericardium is a rare complication of pericardiocentesis, occurring either as a result of direct pleuro-pericardial communication or a leaky drainage system. Air-fluid level surrounding the heart shadow within the pericardium on a chest X-ray is an early observation at diagnosis. This clinical measurement and process is variable, depending on the hemodynamic status of the patient. The development of a cardiac tamponade is a serious complication, necessitating prompt recognition and treatment. We recently observed a case of pneumopericardium after a therapeutic pericardiocentesis in a 20-year-old man with tuberculous pericardial effusion.

Two Cases of Tension Pneumopericardium in Mechanically Ventilated Preterm Infants

Pneumopericardium is a rare form of neonatal air leakage. Tension pneumopericardium is much more infrequent, but can cause a cardiovascular deterioration with high mortality up to 80% and neurodevelopmental morbidity in half of the cases. We report two cases of preterm infants who successfully recovered from tension pneumopericardium that developed during mechanical ventilator assistance. The patients displayed a sudden increase in oxygen demand and subsequent cardiovascular deterioration. Immediate needle aspiration of the pneumopericardium performed after checking X-ray images rescued each of patient. Since the clinical symptoms are non-specific, clinicians' suspicion is most important when patients show sudden refractory cardiovascular collapse, especially in ventilator-assisted neonates. This life threatening complication demands instant diagnosis and intervention.

Cardiac Tamponade by Iatrogenic Pneumopericardium

Pneumopericardium is defined as the condition of presence of air in the pericardial space. It is associated with various etiologies such as chest trauma, infection or invasive procedures. We herein describe a case of cardiac tamponade associated with pneumopericardium. We diagnosed iatrogenic pneumopericardium by plain chest radiography and two-dimensional echocardiography. The patient was successfully treated by re-pericardiocentesis.

Pneumoretroperitoneum, Pneumomediastinum, Peumopericardium, and Subcutaneous Emphysema after Colonoscopic Examination

Colonoscopy is regarded as a relatively safe procedure and is widely performed. However, complications such as bleeding, perforation, and coagulation syndromes can occur during colonoscopy. Although bowel perforation is as rare as 0.4-1.9% of cases, it is the most serious and awful adverse event which can lead to a death. Colon perforation may occur as either intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal, or in combination. Right subdiaphragmatic free air suggests intraperitoneal perforation while pneumoretroperitoneum, pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium, and subcutaneous emphysema suggest extraperitoneal perforation. Combined intraperitoneal and extraperitoneal perforation is very rare. Herein, we present a case of combined intraperitoneal and extraperitoneal colon perforation which manifested as pneumoretroperitoneum, pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium, and subcutaneous emphysema. The lesion was closed with endoscopic clipping.

Clinical observation of different intra-abdominal pressure and different time points during gynecological laparo- scopic operations / 中国基层医药

Objective To observe the effect of different intra-abdominal pressure and different time points on hemodynamics,ent-tidal CO_2(P_(ET)CO_2) and airway pressure(Paw) during the procedure of gynecological laparoscopic operations.Methods 60 cases undergoing gynecological laparoscopic operations were randomly divided into two groups:the intra-abdominal pressure was 1.3kPa in groupⅠ(30 cases) and 1.9kPa in groupⅡ(30 cases).ASAⅠgrade.In both groups,systolic blood pressure(SBP),diastolic blood pressure(DBP),mean arterial pressure(MAP), heart rates(HR).S-T.Paw and P_(ET)CO_2 were monitored and recorded before anesthesia(T_0),shortly after intubation (T_1),pre-pneumoperitoneum (T_2),5min after pneumoperitoneum (supine position) (T_3) and 5min (T_4),10min (T_5),20min(T_6),30min (T_7) after trendelenbury position (head down 200) and 5rain after deflation (T_8).Results In both groups SBP,DBP,MAP at time point T_3,T_4,T_5 were increased significantly compared with those of T_0 (P0.05),but there was significant difference in Paw and P_(ET)CO_2 in different time points within the same group and between the same time point in different groups after pneumoperitoneum(P

Pneumothorax, Pneumomediastinum and Pneumopericardium: A Pictorial Review

Pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium usually develop during emergency situations and these conditions may result in cardiopulmonary compromise, so an early and accurate diagnosis is seen as crucial for proper treatment. For diagnosis of pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium, chest radiography is a primary modality and CT can help for diagnosing them earlier and detecting associated abnormalities. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to describe the pathophysiology, various radiographic signs and diagnostic pitfalls of pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and peumopericardium on chest radiographs that are correlated with CTs, and to aid the physician in the radiographic diagnosis.

Pneumopericárdio após traumatismo penetrante: relato de três casos / Pneumopericardium after penetrating trauma: report of three cases

Pneumopericardium after penetrating wound represents a high suspicion for cardiac wound. Some authors recommend thoracotomy to discharge a cardiac lesion. We present three cases of post-traumatic pneumopericardium one following a gunshot wound and two following a stab wound and discuss about diagnosis and treatment. None showed clinical signs of cardiac tamponade. Diagnosis was made by chest x-ray. Pneumopericardium was identified at the initial evaluation in two patients, who had concomitant hemothorax and underwent chest drainage. The patient with penetrating thoracic wound by gunshot pneumopericardium developed 24h after trauma. Treatment was directed to the associated lesions without specific measurements for pneumopericardium. This aproach was safe in these patients.

Spontaneous Pneumopericardium: A case Report

Pneumopericardium, as a form of barotrauma, refers to the presence of air within the pericardial sac. The causes of pneumopericardium are various. Clinically, pneumopericardium is typically present with dyspnea and precordial chest pain. On physical examination, heart sounds are usually distant, and precordial tympany may be elicited. The diagnosis can be made by clinical and radiographic findings. Management of pneumopericardium depends on many factors, such as the age of the patient, the suspected causes, and the extent of clinically observed respiratory compromise. The case shown here, a patient who developed pneumopericardium, involved an associated underlying pulmonary parenchymal process as the cause of pneumopericardium.

A Case of Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum and Pneumopericardium in a Patient with Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / 결핵

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.