Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Nov 30;13(4):208-212.
doi: 10.5582/irdr.2024.01054.

Cervicofacial emphysema: A systematic review

Kiranmai Kanaparthi  1 , Abhinav Talwar  2 , Sara Khan  1 , Ankoor Talwar  3 , Barbara Capozzi  4 , Arunabh Talwar  1
Affiliations
Review

Cervicofacial emphysema: A systematic review

Kiranmai Kanaparthi et al. Intractable Rare Dis Res. .

Abstract

Cervicofacial Emphysema (CFE) is a self-limiting condition, defined by the presence of air in face and neck. The purpose of the manuscript is to systematically review the existing literature on CFE evaluation and management for updated clinical understanding of this condition. A literature search was conducted of publications about CFE on PubMed and Google Scholar by identifying all the articles with key search terms "Cervicofacial Emphysema" and "Sub Cutaneous Emphysema". Inclusion criteria were case series published in English between 1980 and 2024. In total, 241 case series were selected and reviewed to determine presenting symptoms, clinical signs and predisposing factors associated with CFE. Average age at diagnosis was 38.1 years, male and female are almost equally affected. The most common presenting symptoms were face and neck swelling. The most common finding was crepitus. The condition was most commonly reported in patients undergoing dental procedures, otorhinolaryngology procedures, or in patients who experienced transient change in intra nasal/thoracic pressure. The management includes clinical monitoring, reassurance of the patient, antibiotic prophylaxis and monitoring to rule out pneumomediastinum. The odds of concurrent pneumomediastinum is highest in patients with abdominal procedures as an etiology of CFE.

Keywords: cervicofacial emphysema; crepitus; face; neck swelling.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Identification of studies via databases and registers.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Causes of cervicofacial emphysema (CFE).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Brasileiro BF, Cortez AL, Asprino L, Passeri LA, De Moraes M, Mazzonetto R, Moreira RW. Traumatic subcutaneous emphysema of the face associated with paranasal sinus fractures: a prospective study. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2005; 63:1080-1087. - PubMed
    1. Celebioglu S, Keser A, Ortak T. An unusual complication of rhinoplasty: subcutaneous emphysema. Br J Plast Surg. 1998; 51:266-267. - PubMed
    1. Pynn BR, Amato D, Walker DA. Subcutaneous emphysema following dental treatment: A report of two cases and review of the literature. J Can Dent Assoc. 1992; 58:496-499. - PubMed
    1. Bekiroglu F, Rout PG. Surgical emphysema following dental treatment: two cases. Dent Update. 1997; 24:412-414. - PubMed
    1. Choi PW. Pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and subcutaneous emphysema caused by colonoscopic perforation: A report of two cases. J Emerg Med. 2017; 52:e117-e22. - PubMed