Presentation
Dyspnea due to malignant pleural effusion of unknown etiology. Effusion was drained and chest x-ray showed pneumothorax, whereupon a chest tube was inserted.
Patient Data
Age: 65 years
Gender: Female
From the case:
Extensive subcutaneous emphysema - iatrogenic
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Extensive subcutaneous emphysema.
Note: This case has been tagged as "legacy" as it no longer meets image preparation and/or other case publication guidelines
From the case:
Extensive subcutaneous emphysema - iatrogenic
{"current_user":null,"step_through_annotations":true,"access":{"can_edit":false,"can_download":true,"can_toggle_annotations":true,"can_feature":false,"can_pin":false},"extraPropsURL":"/studies/15968/annotated_viewer_json?iframe=true\u0026lang=us"}
Extensive subcutaneous emphysema due to a misplaced chest tube, connecting the still present pneumothorax and the subcutis.
Case Discussion
Subcutaneous emphysema, strictly speaking, refers to air in the subcutaneous tissues. But the term is generally used to describe any soft tissue emphysema of the body wall or limbs, since the air often dissects into the deeper soft tissues and musculature along fascial planes.