TITLE:
Cervico-Facial Soft Tissue Emphysema with Pneumo-Mediastinum Following Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: A Dilemma of Related or Unrelated Complication
AUTHORS:
Produl Hazarika, Seema Elina Punnoose, Ananth Pai, Rajeev Chaturvedi
KEYWORDS:
Endoscopic Sinus Surgery; Cervico-Facial Emphysema; Pneumo-Mediastinum; Ethical Practice; Medical Audit; Extended Indication of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery; CT Scan
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery,
Vol.2 No.3,
May
24,
2013
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.