Location
Philadelphia
Start Date
11-5-2016 1:00 PM
Description
Pneumoscrotum, or air within the scrotum, is thought to be a rare entity, with only 59 cases of pneumoscrotum being described in medical literature from 1972 to 2013. Air can accumulate in the scrotum via a number of mechanisms, both pathologic and procedural. Air will spread via diffusion from its source down the fascial planes and into the scrotum, causing pronounced scrotal swelling. Here we report a case of pneumoscrotum in a 60-year-old male patient following a thoracotomy. He already had a chest tube in place for a previous pneumothorax, and the patient had no new symptomatic complaints. CT revealed a large amount of subcutaneous emphysema of the chest extending into the scrotum with a small left pneumothorax. A second chest tube was inserted on the left side, and the scrotum returned to its normal size within four days. Pneumoscrotum alone is a relatively benign condition; however, its presence can alert providers to more urgent, underlying pathologies.
Pneumoscrotum after an open thoracotomy: a case report
Philadelphia
Pneumoscrotum, or air within the scrotum, is thought to be a rare entity, with only 59 cases of pneumoscrotum being described in medical literature from 1972 to 2013. Air can accumulate in the scrotum via a number of mechanisms, both pathologic and procedural. Air will spread via diffusion from its source down the fascial planes and into the scrotum, causing pronounced scrotal swelling. Here we report a case of pneumoscrotum in a 60-year-old male patient following a thoracotomy. He already had a chest tube in place for a previous pneumothorax, and the patient had no new symptomatic complaints. CT revealed a large amount of subcutaneous emphysema of the chest extending into the scrotum with a small left pneumothorax. A second chest tube was inserted on the left side, and the scrotum returned to its normal size within four days. Pneumoscrotum alone is a relatively benign condition; however, its presence can alert providers to more urgent, underlying pathologies.