title: Asymptomatic spontaneous cervical and mediastinal emphysema.
abstract: We report our experience with four patients presenting with spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) within a 3-month period. The patients (three male and one female, aged 15-17&emsp14;years) were hospitalised with SPM. All patients were kept under observation, successfully treated and followed up for several years, with no recurrences reported. Two patients had histories of asthma, while the other two developed SPM during sporting activities. SPM carries the possibility of being latent. For symptoms such as chest pain without evidence of pneumothorax in young people, it is necessary to always consider SPM and make the diagnosis accordingly.
authors: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Gunma Prefectural Cancer Center, Ota, Gunma, Japan. hiojima@gunma-cc.jp
authors: Hitoshi
authors: H
authors: Ojima
authors: Yasuyuki
authors: Y
authors: Fukai
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Soda
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Kuwano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004646:Emphysema / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008478:Mediastinal Emphysema / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009333:Neck; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed