A Case of Spontaneous Pneumomediatsinum during Taekwondo.

Jeon, Ho Seok; Han, Min Soo; Moon, Kyung Min; Lee, Yang Deok; Cho, Yongseon; Na, Dong Jib

doi:2008.65.3.222

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 65(3); 2008 > Article

Case Report

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2008;65(3):222-224.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2008.65.3.222 Published online September 1, 2008.

A Case of Spontaneous Pneumomediatsinum during Taekwondo.

Ho Seok Jeon, Min Soo Han, Kyung Min Moon, Yang Deok Lee, Yongseon Cho, Dong Jib Na

Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea. hms43@eulji.ac.kr

Abstract

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is defined as a clinical syndrome thatos characterized by the presence of air in the mediastinal space, which is not due to an old previous injury or surgery. The condition is caused by a sustained increase in the intraalveolar and intrabronchial pressure with extravasated air dissecting along the perivascular spaces of the mediastinum. This is an uncommon complication of sports activity. The most common symptom is chest pain. This diagnosis should be considered for younger people who present with pleuritic chest pain or dyspnea and a characteristic crackling feel (known as subcutaneous crepitation) when touching of the skin covering the chest wall or neck, and they look otherwise well with normal vital signs. Usually no treatment is required, but the mediastinal air will be absorbed faster if the patient inspires high concentrations of oxygen. We present here a case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum that occurred during a Taekwondo match, along with a review of the relevant literature.

Key Words: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum, Chest pain, Oxygen