Mediastinal Emphysema and Left Pneumothorax

Abstract

SUMMARY 1.The results of examining 98 reported cases of spontaneous mediastinal emphysema are presented. In many of them the diagnosis was based largely or entirely on the presence of Hamman's sign. In these 98 cases a small left pneumothorax was found in 48, but a right pneumothorax in only four. 2.Some personally observed cases are described in which Hamman's sign was elicited. Mediastinal emphysema was shown to be present in some of them, while others had only a small left pneumothorax. 3.It is suggested that many of the reported cases of spontaneous mediastinal emphysema may have had only uncomplicated small left pneumothorax, the auscultatory sounds produced by the two conditions being sometimes closely similar. In confirming the diagnosis of mediastinal emphysema, the importance is stressed of the presence of subcutaneous emphysema or definite radiological changes.