Perforation of the piriform sinus after sneezing with cervical subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum

INTRODUCTION

Cervical subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum are often secondary to trauma, surgery or infection. More rarely, they can be spontaneous with no identified cause, but forced Valsalva manoeuvres are a known predisposing factor. Any forced effort with a closed glottis, such as sneezing, can cause rupture of the mucosa leading to the formation of cervical subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum.

CASE REPORT

The authors report the case of a 30-year-old man with cervical subcutaneous emphysema complicated by pneumomediastinum due to fistula of the piriform sinus following sneezing while simultaneously obstructing both nostrils.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

Rupture of the mucosa of the piriform sinus is an extremely rare complication of this type of manoeuvre. This condition requires management in hospital due to the risk of infection with cervical cellulitis progressing to mediastinitis. Simultaneously obstructing both nostrils during sneezing is a dangerous manoeuvre that should be avoided.

[Acute laryngitis and epiglottitis in children]

The anatomical characteristic of the pediatric larynx allows physicians to better understand the incidence of symptomatic and severe presentations of acute laryngitis, which are frequent pediatric emergencies. Subglottis laryngitis and epiglottitis must be distinguished from each other. These two diseases are absolutely different: the first one is essentially viral and usually moderate, even though acute respiratory distress can occur. The other (epiglottitis) is bacterial, essentially caused by Haemophilus influenza B (Hi-B), and can be life threatening. The anti Hi-B vaccine leads to a decrease of frequency but does not make them disappear. Moreover, even if a child has a history of the Hi-B vaccine, diagnosis of epiglottitis can not to be ruled out. Lastly, in case of acute laryngeal dyspnea in a child, one must think about a foreign body.