Cervico-Facial Soft Tissue Emphysema with Pneumo-Mediastinum Following Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: A Dilemma of Related or Unrelated Complication

Produl Hazarika, Seema Elina Punnoose, Ananth Pai, Rajeev Chaturvedi

Department of ENT, NMC Specialty Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Department of General Surgery, NMC Specialty Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Department of Radiology, NMC Specialty Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

DOI: 10.4236/ijohns.2013.23021                

Abstract

We present a rare and unusual complication of cervico-facial soft tissue emphysema with pneumo-mediastinum which occurred in a 30-year-old female Jordanian patient in our hospital in October 2010 in Abu Dhabi following FESS. CT scan evaluation of aero-digestive tract in the immediate post-operative period was done to ascertain the cause pertaining to any surgical trauma or anaesthesia related complications. Such a case previously unreported has been included in this study. A simple close monitoring after establishing the cause is usually sufficient in management of such related or unrelated complications during FESS which in our case was likely to be anaesthesia related. Published data of such a complication assists in building up a good and effective medical audit based on ethical practice. This paper stresses the importance of immediate CT scan of aero-digestive tract in evaluating the cause.

Keywords

Endoscopic Sinus Surgery; Cervico-Facial Emphysema; Pneumo-Mediastinum; Ethical Practice; Medical Audit; Extended Indication of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery; CT Scan

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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