A case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum with unknown etiology

Abstract

First described by Hamman in 1939, spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is a disease with the collection of air in the mediastinum without any underlying cause. It is usually seen in young males and its incidence is reported between 1/15000-1/25000 in different case series. We would like to present the case of a 16-year-old male patient who admitted to our hospital with the complaints of pleuritic chest pain and tenderness in the neck and was diagnosed as spontaneous pneumomediastinum. Patient spontaneously recovered without the need of an invasive procedure.