Do not try at home alone; spontaneous pneumomediastinum due to handstand

Introduction: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SP) is the accumulation of air in the mediastinum without a surgical or traumatic etiology. It is thought that the basic mechanism triggering SP is the pressure difference that develops after a strong Valsalva maneuver. Case report: We presented a 50-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency department with sudden onset chest and epigastric pain that started after standing up for a handstand. He had atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response with a hearth rate of 285 beat/min. Heart rate control was achieved after medical treatment. His computerised tomography was consistent with air in mediastinum. First line treatment was started and the patient was transferred to the thoracic surgery ward. Conclusion: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is one of the rare diagnoses that should be considered in patients presenting with chest pain and shortness of breath. It is important to correctly evaluate what may be associated with the valsalva maneuver among the sportive movements performed at home, and to keep in mind that SP can also occur in different age groups in order to make the correct diagnosis.

___

  • 1. Dionísio P, Martins L, Moreira S, Manique A, Macedo R, Caeiro F, et al. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum: experience in 18 patients during the last 12 years. J Bras Pneumol 2017;43:101-5.
  • 2. Hamman L. Spontaneous mediastinal emphysema. Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp 1939;64:1-21.
  • 3. Caceres M, Ali SZ, Braud R, Weiman D, Garrett HE Jr. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum: a comparative study and review of the literature. Ann Thorac Surg 2008;86(3):962-6.
  • 4. Jougon JB, Ballester M, Delcambre F, Mac Bride T, Dromer CE, Velly JF. Assessment of spontaneous pneumomediastinum: experience with 12 patients. Ann Thorac Surg 2003;75(6):1711-4.
  • 5. Ryoo JY. Clinical analysis of spontaneous pneumomediastinum. Tuberc Respir Dis (Seoul) 2012;73(3):169-73.
  • 6. Lee SS. An unusual cause of chest pain in army trainee-spontaneous pneumomediastinum. Med J Malaysia 2016;71(1):30-1.
  • 7. Kaneki T, Kubo K, Kawashima A, Koizumi T, Sekiguchi M, Sone S. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in 33 patients: yield of chest computed tomography for the diagnosis of the mild type. Respiration 2000;67:408-11.
  • 8. Kim KS, Jeon HW, Moon Y, Du Kim Y, Im Ahn M, Park JK, et al. Clinical experience of spontaneous pneumomediastinum: diagnosis and treatment. J Thorac Dis 2015;7(10):1817.
  • 9. Dogru MV, Saydam O. Pneumomediastinum. Review. Güncel Göğüs Hastalıkları Serisi 2020;8(3):55-60.