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International Expert Consensus and Recommendations for Neonatal Pneumothorax Ultrasound Diagnosis and Ultrasound-guided Thoracentesis Procedure
05:50

International Expert Consensus and Recommendations for Neonatal Pneumothorax Ultrasound Diagnosis and Ultrasound-guided Thoracentesis Procedure

Published on: March 12, 2020

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum: time for consensus

Sonu Sahni1, Sameer Verma, Jinette Grullon

  • 1Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, North Shore - Long Island Jewish Health System, New Hyde Park, NY 11040, US.

North American Journal of Medical Sciences
|October 2, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is air in the chest cavity without a clear cause, often presenting as chest pain. Prompt diagnosis and management are crucial due to potential complications.

Area of Science:

  • Medicine
  • Pulmonology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Pneumomediastinum (PM) involves free air in the mediastinum, often indicating serious conditions.
  • Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) lacks a clear cause and can be misdiagnosed due to vague symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review case series and define clinical scenarios for spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM).
  • To emphasize the importance of including SPM in the differential diagnosis for chest pain.

Main Methods:

  • A MedLine/PubMED search was conducted for articles with "SPM" in the title.
  • Six case series were reviewed to identify common clinical presentations of SPM.

Main Results:

  • Chest pain is a common symptom in SPM patients.
  • Hamman's crunch was present in only 20% of cases.
  • Pre-existing pulmonary diseases increase susceptibility to SPM.

Conclusions:

  • Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) requires prompt diagnosis and management.
  • SPM should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients with unexplained chest pain.
Keywords:
Chest painMediastinal emphysemaSpontaneous pneumomediastinumSubcutaneous emphysema

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