title: Chest pain after kidney transplantation owing to pneumomediastinum: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chest pain in kidney transplant recipients can signify a life-threatening condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  A patient with polycystic kidney disease who underwent living donor kidney transplantation with open bilateral native nephrectomy developed acute substernal chest pain 10 days post-transplantation. History, physical, and diagnostic studies identified no cardiac or pulmonary causes for the pain, but radiography showed mediastinal air. No vascular or thoracic injury explained the development of the pneumomediastinum. After 1 day on oxygen, the chest pain symptoms resolved. Repeat x-rays showed resolution of the pneumomediastinum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pneumomediastinum resulting from air migrating from the abdominal cavity to the thorax has not been described after open removal of diseased abdominal organs. This case illustrates that creation of a potential space in the abdominal cavity can be associated with the development of pneumomediastinum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Conservative measures were sufficient to resolve the pneumomediastinum and symptoms in this patient.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Nephrology, Hypertension, & Transplantation, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Kerns
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Alobaidi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roayaie
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Obhrai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008478:Mediastinal Emphysema / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D007690:Polycystic Kidney Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography