Letter to the Editor
An Overlooked Differential Diagnosis of Acute Chest Pain
Abstract
To the Editor:
Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is a well-known entity that presents with acute chest pain, dyspnea and subcutaneous emphysema. It typically occurs after maneuvers that increase intrathoracic pressure, such as vomiting, retching, sneezing, childbirth, and straining at stool. The other known causes of SPM include asthma, interstitial lung disease and inhalational drug use.1–3Differential diagnosis of acute chest pain often does not include pneumomediastinum, especially in the primary care setting. We describe a patient who presented to her primary care physician with acute chest pain and was diagnosed with pneumomediastinum after an extensive workup.
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