Postpartum pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema

BMJ Case Reports
Diaeddin SagarAldrin Adeni

Abstract

We present the case of a 22-year-old primigravida with symptoms of neck swelling and difficulty breathing 3 hours after uneventful vaginal delivery. On examination, there was surgical emphysema. A CT scan confirmed air in the subcutaneous tissues and also revealed pneumomediastinum. There was no evidence of pneumothorax and gastro-oesophageal endoscopy showed no signs of oesophageal rupture. The patient remained clinically stable throughout her admission and was discharged home after 48 hours of observation. Pneumomediastinum is one of the rare causes of shortness of breath and chest pain during the postpartum period, and it should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Despite the significant abnormalities seen on plain radiography and CT scan, this condition spontaneously resolves. Although postpartum pneumomediastinum has been related to prolonged labour, this was not the case in our patient.

References

Mar 1, 1986·American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology·S R Reeder
Jul 4, 2007·CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De L'Association Medicale Canadienne·Sabine Majer, Peter Graber
Oct 2, 2013·North American Journal of Medical Sciences·Sonu SahniArunabh Talwar
Oct 31, 2015·Revista Portuguesa De Pneumologia·R ScalaG Ciarleglio
Sep 1, 2011·Obstetric Medicine·Neeraja Kuruba, Thin Thin Hla
Mar 21, 2017·Case Reports in Obstetrics and Gynecology·Mohamed Adnane BerdaiMustapha Harandou

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