1. Massive subcutaneous emphysema mimicking anaphylaxis - pathological and radiological correlations
- Author
-
Nadine Forde, Alexander Earley, and Trevor William Watkins
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Parietal Pleura ,Adipose tissue ,Autopsy ,01 natural sciences ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,Diagnosis, Differential ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,030216 legal & forensic medicine ,Pathological ,Anaphylaxis ,Aged ,business.industry ,010401 analytical chemistry ,Pneumothorax ,General Medicine ,respiratory system ,medicine.disease ,Subcutaneous Emphysema ,respiratory tract diseases ,0104 chemical sciences ,Etiology ,Pleura ,Accidental Falls ,Radiology ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Tomography, X-Ray Computed ,Subcutaneous emphysema - Abstract
This report details the pathological and radiological findings in a rare case of massive subcutaneous emphysema. A 74-year-old male presented with sudden onset dyspnea and facial swelling following a fall. His symptoms were refractory to treatments for anaphylaxis, which was suspected clinically, and he quickly succumbed. Autopsy, including post mortem CT scan revealed the underlying etiology to be multiple rib fractures with rupture of the parietal pleura, bilateral pneumothoraxes and massive subcutaneous emphysema involving the face, torso and upper limbs. Multiple frothy air bubbles were observed throughout the mediastinal adipose tissues on internal examination. Our findings echo those of rare previous reports and show how subcutaneous emphysema may, in rare circumstances, mimic anaphylaxis.
- Published
- 2019