Presentation
Breathing difficulty following blunt trauma to the chest.
Patient Data
Age: 75 years
Gender: Female
From the case:
Subcutaneous emphysema
Frontal
Patient presented with breathing difficulty following trauma. Chest tubes where inserted following which she developed diffuse subcutaneous emphysema.
Case Discussion
The mechanism of development of subcutaneous emphysema or pneumomediastinum is attributed to Macklin effect:
- alveolar rupture
- air dissection along bronchovascular structures
- spreading of pulmonary interstitial emphysema to other planes