A rare case of pneumomediastinum after blown tire

Abstract

Subcutaneous facial emphysema is a well-known consequence of oral and maxillofacial traumatic injury. In some rare cases, the subcutaneous air collection could spread through the retropharyngeal and paralatero-cervical spaces, reaching the mediastinum. A 55-year-old man was presented to the emergency room after a blast injury caused by a blown truck tire while trying to change tires. The chest radiograph demonstrated suspected pneumomediastinum or pneumothorax. A computed tomography scan of the neck and thorax revealed widespread surgical emphysema along the thoracic wall, extending through the mediastinum. The patient was monitored in the Thoracic Surgery Department after surgery and managed with conservative methods. He had no complications on clinical follow-up following hospital discharge. The development of pneumomediastinum after oral or maxillofacial trauma is rare. Nevertheless, given the mortal complications that may develop, clinicians should keep pneumomediastinum in mind in the differential diagnosis.