title: Pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema after dental extraction detected incidentally by regular medical checkup: a case report.
abstract: Most cases of pneumomediastinum are caused by iatrogenic injury during surgery on the cervical region and chest or by tracheostomy. It is also well known that emphysema may occur secondary to dental treatment using an air turbine drill, but there have been few cases of emphysema extending to involve the mediastinum. Presented is a rare case in which subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum developed asymptomatically, probably due to extraction of a mandibular third molar, and were found incidentally on the day after the dental procedure. To avoid subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum associated with dental treatment and surgical intraoral procedures such as tooth extraction, air turbine drills should be used only when it is essential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan. ikuko17424@ybb.ne.jp
authors.forename: Ikuko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Yoshihide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaneko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003754:Dental High-Speed Equipment / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008478:Mediastinal Emphysema / Q000209:etiology*; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013352:Subcutaneous Emphysema / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000295:instrumentation*