Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum in an Asthmatic: A Rare Entity

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a rare pathology. It occurs mainly in young adults. Its abrupt onset is characteristic, with chest pain, subcutaneous emphysema and dyspnoea. We report a case of pneumomediastinum in a 25-year-old patient with asthma triggered by coughing. The patient presented with acute respiratory failure and retrosternal chest pain. The chest X-ray showed a pneumo-mediastinum with emphysema of the cervical and thoracic soft tissues. A CT scan confirmed the diagnosis of medium-intensity pneumomediastinum with minimal pneumothorax. The outcome was favourable in 4 days after exsufflation, oxygen therapy and conventional medical treatment.