A Case of Posttonsillectomy Subcutaneous Emphysema

편도적출술 후 피하기종 1례

Subcutaneous emphysema is an unusual and rarely reported complication of tonsillectomy. The more commen complications are hemorrhage, infection and following anesthesia, aspiration, cardiac arrhythmia, and laryngeal trauma can occur. Posttonsillectomy subcutaneous emphysema results directly from the introduction of air into the tonsillar bed either during the surgical procedure itself or in the postoperative period. This condition is generally benign and self limiting and usually requires treatment only for the primary respiratory disease. In this report, we describe a 40-year-old female patient in whom subcutaneous emphysema developed shortly after tonsillectomy. She was observed for 5 days, at which point subcutaneous emphysema was seen on the follow up soft tissue neck X-ray to disappeared.