title: Blunt maxillary fracture and cheek bite: two rare causes of traumatic pneumomediastinum.
abstract: Subcutaneous facial emphysema is a well-known consequence of oral and maxillofacial traumatic injury. In some rare cases, the subcutaneous air collection could spread through the retropharyngeal and paralatero-cervical spaces, reaching the mediastinum. This clinical entity is known as pneumomediastinum and represents a severe and, sometimes, life-threatening condition. Other reported causes of pneumomediastinum are esophageal and tracheal traumatic or iatrogenic rupture. Finally, the so-called spontaneous pneumomediastinum is caused by a sudden increase in alveolar pressure and is usually seen in young men. We present two cases of pneumomediastinum as a consequence of unusual traumatic damage of orofacial tissues, followed by repeated sneezing and Valsalva maneuver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Verona, Policlinico "Giovanni Battista Rossi" Piazzale Ludovico Antonio Scuro, 1037134, Verona, Italy. pasquale.procacci@univr.it.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Procacci
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Verona, Policlinico "Giovanni Battista Rossi" Piazzale Ludovico Antonio Scuro, 1037134, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zanette
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Verona, Policlinico "Giovanni Battista Rossi" Piazzale Ludovico Antonio Scuro, 1037134, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Pier Francesco
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Nocini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D001734:Bites, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001860:Bone Plates; D002610:Cheek / Q000293:injuries*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008440:Maxillary Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008478:Mediastinal Emphysema / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012912:Sneezing; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*; D013352:Subcutaneous Emphysema / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014636:Valsalva Maneuver; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Facial injuries; Maxillofacial surgery; Mediastinal emphysema; Oral surgery; Wounds and injuries