First report of post-vomiting subcutaneous peri-lacrimal drainage system emphysema

Abstract

Subcutaneous emphysema is defined as a trapped air in tissues under the skin. This entity most often occurs in the chest wall and neck but can infrequently happen in other parts of the body like the orbital area [1]. The main mechanism of subcutaneous emphysema is the traumatic damage of the anatomical air-filled cavities or canals. Most of the rare, reported cases of orbital and periorbital emphysema were described in adults as complications of several types of traumas, including direct trauma, recent or previous surgery [2,3], barotrauma secondary to non-invasive ventilation, such as continuous positive airway pressure therapy [4], and even post forceful nose-blowing [5]. In this report, we described the first reported case of post-vomiting subcutaneous emphysema surrounding the medial canthus of the right eye in a 10-year-old boy.