Pneumomediastinum in a College-Aged Soccer Player: A Case Report.

Introduction Pneumomediastinum is defined as the presence of air or other gas in the mediastinum. This can be categorized as spontaneous or traumatic. Traumatic pneumomediastinum is caused by blunt or penetrating trauma to the chest or iatrogenic injury. Mediastinal air commonly originates from pneumothoraces (4,8). Pneumomediastinum in the absence of pneumothorax is frequently omitted in the differential diagnosis of retrosternal chest pain. It is an uncommon condition predominantly seen in young men. It typically presents with chest pain, dyspnea, and neck pain (11). Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion, because evidence of its occurrence may not present on examination or chest X-ray. This is usually a benign, self-limited condition, which responds well to conservative management, with recurrence being rare (10Y12). However, there is a small subset of patients who require a more extensive work-up for more serious injuries, including aerodigestive injuries. Here, is a case of a healthy young man who developed a pneumomediastinum, without pneumothorax, after blunt trauma to the thorax during a soccer match with several features suspicious for more serious injuries.