The Hamman Sign: A Case Report With Audio Recording

Background Hamman’s sign is a rare phenomenon. Louis Hamman described this pathognomonic clicking chest noise in association with pneumomediastinum in 1937. This typical noise can also be present in left-sided pneumothorax. Clinical cases already mention this pericardial knock in 1918 in gunshot wounds of the left chest and in 1928 in cases of spontaneous left-sided pneumothorax. However, the sound itself has only rarely been recorded. Case summary We describe a case of a young man with no significant medical history who was referred to the hospital with chest pain and audible clicks, documented with his smartphone. Imaging studies including chest radiograph and computed tomography scan revealed a left-sided pneumothorax. The patient underwent semi-urgent insertion of a thorax drain. His clinical outcome was excellent. Discussion In recent years only a few case reports describe Hamman’s sign, as it is rare and happens only transiently. This case report includes the audible clicks recorded by the patient with his smartphone. We stress the importance of thoracic clicking sounds as key symptom in the differential diagnosis of left-sided pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and valvular pathology such as mitral valve prolapse.

show abstract

The clicking chest: what exactly did Hamman hear? A case report of a left-sided pneumothorax

Jimidar

Lauwers

Govaerts³

et al. 2020

European Heart Journal - Case Reports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

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.

Contact Info

customersupport@researchsolutions.com

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

The Hamman Sign: A Case Report With Audio Recording

Cited by 1 publication

References 5 publications

The clicking chest: what exactly did Hamman hear? A case report of a left-sided pneumothorax

The clicking chest: what exactly did Hamman hear? A case report of a left-sided pneumothorax

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About