title: Pneumomediastinum following blowout fracture of the medial orbital wall: a case report.
abstract: An unusual case of cervical emphysema and pneumomediastinum following a blowout fracture of the medial orbital wall is presented. Severe pulmonary distress did not occur, and the trapped air rapidly absorbed. The source of the emphysema and its progression is discussed considering the anatomic relations of the facial and cervical subcutaneous space and the mediastinum. To our knowledge, this complication is rare and has been documented only once before in an isolated blowout fracture of the orbit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ichilov Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Almog
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mayron
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazar
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Avrahami
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008478:Mediastinal Emphysema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D009915:Orbit / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D009917:Orbital Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed