Presentation
Motor vehicle accident
Patient Data
Age: 90 years
Gender: Male
From the case:
Traumatic pneumorrhachis
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Axial non-contrast
Non-enhanced chest CT scan showing pneumorrhachis at the thoracic level with associated unstable fracture of T9 vertebral body (arrows).
No pneumothorax or pneumatocele.
Case courtesy of Dr. Charbel Mourad.
From the case:
Traumatic pneumorrhachis
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Oblique
Annotated images indicate a discoligamentous injury at T8/9 level with fractures of the T9 endplate, the left facet and costovertebral joints.
Case Discussion
The proposed mechanism of post-traumatic pneumorrhachis, is probably related to an extension injury of a degenerative rigid spine that resulted in the described vertebral fractures and released intradiscal/intravertebral gas into the spinal canal.