Annals of Emergency Medicine
Volume 49, Issue 1 , Page 123, January 2007

Images in emergency medicine

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Diagnosis 

Traumatic pneumatocele. Traumatic pneumatocele, which has also been reported as traumatic pulmonary pseudocyst or traumatic lung cyst since 1940,1 is a less frequent complication of blunt chest trauma. Children and young adults are involved more commonly, probably because of the great flexibility of their thoracic walls.2 As the most acceptable mechanism, the lung is compressed by the external force of the trauma, followed by rapid decompression from increased negative intrathoracic pressure. A “bursting lesion” of the lung occurs and leads to pneumatocele formation.3 Clinical appearance includes cough, hemoptysis, chest pain, and dyspnea.3 The treatment is usually conservative, and the role of prophylactic antibiotics is unclear. Surgical intervention is recommended only when complications such as infection occur.4

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References 

  1. Moore FA, Moore EE, Haenel JB, et al. Post-traumatic pulmonary pseudocyst in the adult: pathophysiology, recognition, and selective management. J Trauma. 1989;29:1380–1385
  2. Suhocki PV, Stull MA, Twigg HL. Chest case of the day: traumatic pneumatocele. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1990;154:1323–1324
  3. Ganske JG, Dennis DL, Vanderveer JB. Traumatic lung cyst: case report and literature review. J Trauma. 1981;21:493–496
  4. Schimpl G, Schneider U. Traumatic pneumatoceles in an infant: case report and review of the literature. Eur J Pediatr Surg. 1996;6:104–106

PII: S0196-0644(06)00625-1

doi:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2006.04.017

Refers to article:

  • Images in emergency medicine

    Ming-Huang Cai, Wei-Jing Lee
    Annals of Emergency Medicine January 2007 (Vol. 49, Issue 1, Page 111)

Annals of Emergency Medicine
Volume 49, Issue 1 , Page 123, January 2007

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