Recurrent Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum With Concurrent Pneumorrhachis: A Rare Clinical Entity.

Recurrent Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum With Concurrent Pneumorrhachis: A Rare Clinical Entity. Ann Thorac Surg. 2018 Apr;105(4):e155-e157 Authors: Ramasamy P, Kale SB, Subramaniam S, Giridhar K Abstract Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is the presence of interstitial air in the mediastinal structures without an apparent cause. Pneumorrhachis is defined as the presence of air in the spinal canal. Concurrent pneumorrhachis is an extremely rare epiphenomenon of spontaneous pneumomediastinum without pneumothorax. Diagnosis is confirmed by radiologic imaging of the chest. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum and pneumorrhachis usually resolve with conservative therapy such as bed rest, analgesic agents, and supplemental oxygen. A 20-year-old male patient presented with recurrent spontaneous pneumomediastinum with concurrent pneumorrhachis with a gap of 1 year between the two episodes. Pneumomediastinum and pneumorrhachis resolved with conservative management in both episodes. PMID: 29571346 [PubMed - in process]
Source: The Annals of Thoracic Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: Ann Thorac Surg Source Type: research