Subcutaneous emphysema after uncommon traumatic and iatrogenic events: a report of two cases

  • Kim, Min-Su (Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Korea University Guro Hospital) ;
  • Kim, Gyu-Tae (Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Korea University Guro Hospital) ;
  • Kim, Choong-Nam (Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Korea University Guro Hospital) ;
  • Kim, Soo-Ho (Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Korea University Guro Hospital) ;
  • Lee, Eui-Seok (Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Korea University Guro Hospital) ;
  • Lim, Ho-Kyung (Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Korea University Guro Hospital)
  • 김민수 (고려대학교 구로병원 구강악안면외과) ;
  • 김규태 (고려대학교 구로병원 구강악안면외과) ;
  • 김충남 (고려대학교 구로병원 구강악안면외과) ;
  • 김수호 (고려대학교 구로병원 구강악안면외과) ;
  • 이의석 (고려대학교 구로병원 구강악안면외과) ;
  • 임호경 (고려대학교 구로병원 구강악안면외과)
  • Received : 2018.08.09
  • Accepted : 2018.08.27
  • Published : 2018.10.31

Abstract

Cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema is defined as the abnormal introduction of air into the subcutaneous tissues of the head and neck. It is mainly iatrogenic and traumatic in origin. Our two case reports are also due to the same cause, but the features of the trauma and the site of the dental treatment are different from the existing reports. A 29-year-old man visited our hospital with facial swelling and pain after experiencing facial trauma in a soccer game. Another 55-year-old woman visited with similar symptoms after replacement of her maxillary anterior fixed prosthesis. In the two cases presented, subcutaneous emphysema was gradually treated with no complications during antibiotic prophylaxis and supportive care. In this paper, we report two cases of traumatic and iatrogenic subcutaneous emphysema and their diagnoses, etiologies, complications, and treatments based on a literature review.

Keywords

References

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