Surgical Treatment of Subcutaneous Emphysema. In Which Cases?

Introduction: Subcutaneous emphysema is generally a benign condition treated conservative. Yet, several cases that surgical management is also reported in the literature. Aim: The present study identifies the characteristics of the cases managed surgically. Methods and Material: We conducted a literature search in Pubmed database, in order to find out the general characteristics of the surgical treated cases of subcutaneous emphysema and to record the type of intervention chosen. Results: The search revealed information about 104 cases, mostly men in post-operative period. Two main method are chosen – subcutaneous drain and/or infraclavicular incisions; with several modifications. Despite the severity of emphysema in the majority of cases, very low fatality is reported. Conclusion: Surgical management of subcutaneous emphysema is a relative safe option; thus, it should be considered early in such conditions