Abstract
Mediastinal emphysema, also referred to as pneumomediastinum or Hamman's syndrome, is defined as the presence of air or gas within the fascial planes of the mediastinum. Superior extension of air into the cervicofacial subcutaneous space via communications between the mediastinum and cervical fascial planes or spaces occurs occasionally. The mediastinal air may originate from the respiratory tract, the intrathoracic airway, the lung parenchyma, or the gastrointestinal tract. The presence of air in the mediastinum may be spontaneous, iatrogenic or due to penetrating trauma. Pneumothorax is defined as the presence of air or gas within the pleural cavity. A pneumothorax can occur spontaneously. It can also occur as the result of a disease or injury to the lung or due to a puncture to the chest wall. Pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax is a rare complication of head and neck surgery. Nevertheless, when it occurs, it is usually considered to result from direct dissection by the air at the time of injury or of surgery. Most of the cases of pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax that have been described in the oral and maxillofacial surgery literature result from air dissecting down the fascial planes of the neck. The authors report a case with subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax after orthognathic surgery.
