Presentation
Post right lung resection. Post removal of right intercostal catheter.
Patient Data
Age: 70 years
Gender: Female
From the case:
Subcutaneous emphysema
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CXR showing marked subcutaneous emphysema extending bilaterally.
A pneumothorax is also present on the right. The lung edge is obscured by both the soft tissue outlined by the subcutaneous emphysema and by a rib.
Case Discussion
This patient had a right lung resection. The CXR is post removal of a right sided post operative intercostal catheter. There was obvious clinical subcutaneous emphysema but otherwise the patient was well.
In this case, the presence of air outlining the fibers of the pectoralis major muscle (so called ginkgo leaf sign) obscures the lung edge making the pneumothorax more difficult to appreciate.