Pneumomediastinum: A severe complication of dermatomyositis

Abstract

Dermatomyositis is an autoimmune disease that is considered a subset of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. It is characterized by a skin rash with progressive muscle weakness. Pneumomediastinum is a rapidly progressive complication of dermatomyositis, which is hypothesized to be a result of ruptured subpleural cysts, pulmonary vasculopathy, and steroid-mediated weakening of alveolar walls. This complication is associated with a high mortality rate of 30%. Hence, it should be rapidly investigated and treated when there is a high clinical suspicion. In this article, we report a rare case of patient with dermatomyositis (DM) who developed pneumomediastinum and discussed a literature review of this occurrence.