title: Two cases of spontaneous epidural emphysema during asthmatic attack.
abstract: Two cases of spontaneous epidural emphysema that occurred during asthmatic attacks in a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old are reported here. Epidural emphysema was diagnosed in both cases by using computed tomography (CT), and in 1 case by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Neither patient had neurological findings. Both patients were discharged with no respiratory difficulties. It is generally believed that a diagnosis of epidural emphysema can only be made on CT. In this report, MRI was used to make the diagnosis of subdural emphysema, and it demonstrated that the air was localized within the epidural fat.
authors: Department of Respirology, Tenshi Hospital, N-12, E-3, Higashi-ku, Sapporo 065-8611, Japan. hanataro@m16.alpha-net.ne.jp
authors: Taro
authors: T
authors: Hanada
authors: Akihiko
authors: A
authors: Ishikuro
authors: Yasushi
authors: Y
authors: Hasegawa
authors: Masafumi
authors: M
authors: Shimamoto
authors: Masaaki
authors: M
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Kohsuke
authors: K
authors: Kudo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004646:Emphysema / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D004824:Epidural Space; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008478:Mediastinal Emphysema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D013224:Status Asthmaticus / Q000150:complications*; D013352:Subcutaneous Emphysema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed