Introduction:
Simultaneous subcutaneous emphysema, spontaneous pneumothorax, and pneumomediastinum are complications rarely observed synchronously during an acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma. Although spontaneous pneumothorax has already been reported in asthma patients in the literature, its concurrence with subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum is extremely rare except for iatrogenic conditions.
Case Study:
We describe a patient who presented to the emergency room with progressive dyspnea and chest pain. Three days before, she consulted her general physician with a history of violent dry cough and wheezing. An acute asthma exacerbation was diagnosed, and an inhaled short-acting beta 2 agonist and oral prednisone were prescribed. The patient developed simultaneous subcutaneous emphysema, spontaneous pneumothorax, and pneumomediastinum, a rare complication of an asthma attack.
Conclusions:
Our aim is to emphasize that occult pneumothoraces should be considered in a patient presenting with an acute asthma attack failing to respond to conventional medical therapy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.