Sports-related spontaneous pneumomediastinum

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a rare medical entity occurring almost exclusively in otherwise healthy young individuals without known predisposing factors. We reported our experience with patients presenting with spontaneous pneumomediastinum related to sports. Between January 1991 and December 2...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	The Annals of thoracic surgery Vol. 78; no. 3; pp. 983 - 986
Main Authors:	Mihos, Petros, Potaris, Konstantinos, Gakidis, Ioannis, Mazaris, Evangelos, Sarras, Emmanuel, Kontos, Zois
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-09-2004 Elsevier Science
Subjects:	Adolescent Adult Athletic Injuries - diagnosis Biological and medical sciences Chest Pain - etiology Female Humans Length of Stay Male Mediastinal Emphysema - complications Mediastinal Emphysema - diagnosis Medical sciences Pneumology Respiratory system : syndromes and miscellaneous diseases Retrospective Studies Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases Surgery of the respiratory system 13 Sport Treatment Mediastinum disease Respiratory disease Surgery Spontaneous pneumomediastinum Thorax
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Summary:	Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a rare medical entity occurring almost exclusively in otherwise healthy young individuals without known predisposing factors. We reported our experience with patients presenting with spontaneous pneumomediastinum related to sports. Between January 1991 and December 2002, 10 patients were admitted with spontaneous pneumomediastinum related to sporting activities. We retrospectively reviewed their medical records with regard to predisposing factors, clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and outcome. The mean age of our patients was 18.9 years (range 15 to 25 years). Retrosternal chest pain was the most common symptom (90%), and subcutaneous emphysema the most common physical finding (90%). Hamman's sign was present in 9 patients. In all 10 patients, physical exertion during sports was the only implicating factor (scuba diving in 4 patients, basketball in 2, soccer in 3, and volleyball in 1). All patients were treated conservatively. Complete resorption of the pneumomediastinum occurred in 3 to 8 days. Hospital stay ranged from 2 to 6 days (mean 3.8 days). Follow-up was complete in 8 patients (80%), and ranged from 6 to 84 months (mean 35 months). Only 1 recurrence of pneumomediastinum was found that was treated similarly. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum after sporting activities is a benign disease that generally resolves without clinical sequelae. Restriction of physical and athletic activity after the first episode is unnecessary, the only exception being that of scuba diving.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0003-4975 1552-6259
DOI:	10.1016/j.athoracsur.2004.03.017