A rare case of ulcerative colitis with diffuse parenchymal lung disease, spontaneous pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema.

ABSTRACT

A 50-year-old male, a tobacco smoker, who was known to have ulcerative colitis presented with dry cough, chest pain, dysponea and frequent passage of blood and mucous mixed stools. Physical examination revealed clubbing, subcutaneous emphysema of upper chest and auscultatory findings of crunching sound over pre-cordial area and basal crepitations. Spirometry was suggestive of restrictive pattern. High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of thorax revealed pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema, bilateral diffuse centrilobular nodules and ground-glass haziness with mosaic pattern along with posterior basal fibrotic changes. The present case documents the uncommon pulmonary involvement of spontaneous pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema diffuse parenchymal lung disease, in a patient with ulcerative colitis.