Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in young women: Comparison between anorexia nervosa and nonanorexic patients

Abstract

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a benign, self-limited condition that mainly affects young people. In this report, we present four cases of this uncommon condition and a review of the current literature. Two cases had no prior significant medical history: one had a history of asthma and the other underwent regular outpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa. The three patients who were not anorexic spontaneously improved within a few days. However, the patient with anorexia nervosa took 2 months to recover. It appears that spontaneous pneumomediastinum is an intractable complication of anorexia nervosa, and the improvement of nutritional status in the patient is essential to manage this condition.