A case of pneumomediastinum after dental root canal treatment

Abstract

We presented a rare case in which a 27-year-old female patient developed cervicofacial emphysema and pneumomediastinum following dental root canal treatment on her lower right second molar. She presented to the emergency department with facial and neck pain, difficulty in swallowing, and a feeling of tightness and pressure in the chest. Computed tomography revealed free air foci extending from the right mandibular region to the mediastinum. Pneumomediastinum related to dental root canal treatment was considered and the patient was admitted to the thoracic surgery department and oxygen therapy and prophylactic antibiotics were initiated. After 3 days of observation, the emphysema resolved, the symptoms disappeared, and the inflammatory markers remained within normal limits. The patient was discharged in stable condition.