The terms "free air or gas located within the mediastinum and subcutaneous tissue that are not associated with any obvious causes, such as chest trauma," are used to characterise spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) and subcutaneous emphysema (SE). SPM has been linked to a variety of illnesses and causes, including bronchial asthma, diabetic ketoacidosis, strenuous exercise, strenuous coughing, medication intake, and other actions involving the Valsalva maneuver. We describe a case of spontaneous cervical, retropharyngeal, and mediastinal emphysema in a young female who was previously healthy. She was brought into the ward for observation, vital sign monitoring, analgesics, and prophylactic antibiotics. She started taking analgesics, preventative antibiotics, and 100% oxygen throughout that period to help with absorption. The neck pain gradually subsided, and there were no bouts of oxygen desaturation or abnormal vital signs. After subsequently getting better, the patient went home. The patient was examined in an outpatient clinic two weeks after being discharged and shown no signs of illness. To sum up, subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum are uncommon presentations seen in the emergency room, but they are typically self-limiting.
Keywords: Case report; Pneumomediastinum; Subcutaneous emphysema; Young female.
© 2023 The Authors.