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Pneumopericardium and subcutaneous emphysema of the neck

An unusual manifestation of colonoscopic perforation

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Summary

Subcutaneous neck emphysema has been reported infrequently following colonoscopic perforation and only a single case of pneumopericardium has been previously reported. The successful management of these patients in the literature has largely been nonoperative. We report a case of colonoscopic perforation which presented with subcutaneous neck emphysema, pneumopericardium, and pneumoperitoneum that required operative intervention.

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Fitzgerald, S.D., Denk, A., Flynn, M. et al. Pneumopericardium and subcutaneous emphysema of the neck. Surg Endosc 6, 141–143 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02309088

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