[Spontaneous pneumomediastinum: about 18 cases].

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is defined as the presence of air in the mediastinum in the absence of traumatic or iatrogenic cause. Diagnosis is based on chest X-ray. Other paraclinical examinations, such as chest tomodensitometry or bronchial or gastrointestinal endoscopy, are sometimes necessary. Outcome is most often favorable. We report 18 cases of spontaneous pneumomediastinum whose data were collected in the Department of Respiratory Diseases at the Ibn Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca between 2006 and 2017. The study involved 13 men and 5 women, with an average age of 24 years. Clinical symptomatology was dominated by retrosternal chest pain. The circumstances of onset of pneumomediastinum were coughing spell in seven cases, asthma crisis in five cases, hookah consumption and iterative vomiting in two cases, childbirth and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) of bacterial origin in one case. Outcome was favorable in all cases, with spontaneous resorption of the pneumomediastinum. No recurrence occurred after a minimum follow-up period of 3 years.