title: Pneumomediastinum complicating transbronchial needle aspiration.
abstract: Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is a safe procedure with a reported complication rate of less than 1%. Pneumomediastinum after TBNA has not been reported in the English literature in the past. We present the case of a 65-year-old woman with widely metastatic small cell carcinoma, who developed pneumomediastinum after flexible bronchoscopy with TBNA. A persistent visible defect in the bronchial wall at the site of the needle insertion strongly implicated the TBNA as the cause of the pneumomediastinum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Konrad L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bradshaw