INTRODUCTION Spontaneous pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and subcutaneous emphysema are rare, but serious complications of inflammatory myopathies and occur more commonly in DM than PM. complications of dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM), both of which can be fatal. CASE REPORT A 20-year-old woman was admitted with neck pain, dyspnea, cough, and fever. She had been diagnosed with der...

Bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) was diagnosed on several commercial farms around Harare, Zimbabwe. The affected animals showed signs of fever (40-41.5 degrees C), depression, ruminal stasis, lameness and recumbency. Eight of those attended had severe respiratory distress and subcutaneous emphysema. Haematological and biochemical results indicated leukocytosis with an attending lymphopaenia. Seleni...

Subcutaneous emphysema of the face and neck can develop following restorative dentistry, particularly when air turbine drills are used. We present a case in which the dentist mistook the subcutaneous emphysema following such a procedure for an allergic/anaphylactic reaction and sent him to the emergency department in an ambulance. The differential diagnosis and the subsequent management, includ...