Pneumopericardium
Background
- Air in the pericardium
- Generally secondary to connection between pericardium and pleural cavity, bronchi, or GI tract
- Most often found following trauma, severe asthma exacerbation, strangulation, or forceful drug insufflation
Clinical Features
Differential Diagnosis
Causes of pneumopericardium
- GI malignancy
- PUD
- Esophageal diverticula
- Barotrauma
- Mechanical ventilation
- Vigorous bag-mask ventilation
- SCUBA diving/rapid ascent
- Drug insufflation (especially associated with crack cocaine)
- Asthma
- Valsalva
- Infection pericarditis with gas-producing bacteria
- Thoracic surgery
- Pericardial fluid drainage
- Blast injury
- Blunt or penetrating Thoracic trauma
- Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome