Pneumomediastinum: is this really a benign entity? When it can be considered as spontaneous? Our experience in 47 adult patients.

Objective: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is uncommon and is traditionally considered a benign, self-limited disorder that usually occurs in young adults without any apparent precipitating factor or disease. The purpose of this study is to present 47 new cases because of their different clinical behaviours.

Methods: A descriptive, retrospective case series was conducted to identify adult patients with spontaneous pneumomediastinum who were diagnosed and treated in a single institution between 2000 and 2008.