Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is an uncommon disorder, and usually affects young men and has a benign course. Common triggers are asthma, the smoking of illicit drugs, the Valsalva maneuver, and respiratory infections. Most cases are usually due to alveolar rupture into the pulmonary interstitium caused by excess pressure. The air dissects to the hilum along the peribronchovascular sheaths and spreads into the mediastinum. However, pneumomediastinum following pharyngeal perforation is very rare, and has only been reported in relation to dental procedures, head and neck surgery, or trauma. We report a case of pneumomediastinum that developed in a 43-year-old patient with pharyngeal perforation after shouting. His course was complicated by mediastinitis and parapneumonic effusions.
Keywords: Pneumomediastinum; mediastinitis; parapneumonic effusions; pharyngeal perforation.