Abstract :
Spontaneous mediastinal emphysema is a rare occurrence in children while it is relatively more common in adolescents. It leads to subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium. We report a nine year old boy, a non-asthmatic who presented with fever and incessant cough for three days. He developed sudden onset chest pain and crepitant swelling of the chest-wall, neck and face. He was observed in the intensive care unit. Cardiopulmonary monitoring was done. Antibiotic, nebulization and oxygen supplementation were given. Recovery was uneventful. We discuss the clinical features, aetiopathogenesis, diagnosis and management of this rare condition.
Keyword :
Asthma; Children; Mediastinal emphysema; Spontaneous pneumomediastinum