Pulmonary Tuberculosis Presenting as Surgical Emphysema without Pneumothorax and/or Pneumomediastinum

ABSTRACT

Surgical emphysema as a presenting manifestation of pulmonary tuberculosis in the absence of pneumothorax and/or pneumomediastinum is not yet known. We report one such case in which surgical emphysema was probably the result of rupture of a pulmonary cavity into subcutaneous tissue resulting from caverno-pleuro-cutaneous fistula.