Mediastinal Air
October 21st, 2019
Overview
Air within the mediastinum is known as pneumomediastinum.
Look For
- Overly sharp mediastinal borders
- Lucencies around the cardiac apex and great vessels
Example
- Pneumomediastinum and pneumoperitoneum in a post-trauma patient
![Pneumomediastinum and pneumoperitoneum in a post-trauma patient]()
Causes of Pneumomediastinum
- Tracheal / major bronchial rupture - trauma, iatrogenic, spontaneous
- Oesophageal rupture - trauma, iatrogenic, spontaneous
- Alveolar rupture - asthma, airway foreign body, mechanical ventilation, coughing, vomiting, pneumonitis, emphysema, fibrosis
- Tracking of air from the neck - facial fracture, dental extraction, tracheostomy
- Tracking of air from the abdomen - hollow viscous perforation
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