Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in a patient with recent air travel.
Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is a fairly uncommon condition in which free air is present in the mediastinum, often in young patients without injury or serious underlying pulmonary disease. We present a case of SPM in a 36-year-old man with no pertinent medical history who presented with chest pain after a 3-h flight. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first known case in radiology literature of SPM caused by increased intra-alveolar pressure secondary to increased altitude.
Morgan
John
J
Department of Radiology, St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center, 170 West 12th Street, New York, NY 10011, USA. Jmorgan911@aol.com
Sadler
Michael A
MA
Yeghiayan
Paula
P
D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008478:Mediastinal Emphysema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed