Acute appendicitis presenting with surgical emphysema and pneumomediastinum.
A case is reported of a young man presenting with abdominal pain and surgical emphysema of the neck. A chest x-ray revealed pneumomediastinum but other investigations excluded oesophageal rupture. He was found to have a complicated acute appendicitis. The history and likely causes of this unusual presentation of a common complaint are reviewed.
McCahy
P
P
Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Talbot
D
D
Rawlinson
J
J
Higgs
M J
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008478:Mediastinal Emphysema / Q000209:etiology*; D009333:Neck; D013352:Subcutaneous Emphysema / Q000209:etiology*