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Background and aim <p>The mediastinum is an anatomical compartment that contains all thoracic organs and tissues except the lungs. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is a rare condition characterized by the presence of air in this space without any identifiable underlying cause. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and seasonal distribution of SPM cases, and to evaluate potential meteorological influences on its occurrence.</p> Methods <p>This retrospective study included 23 patients diagnosed with SPM at our institution between 2020 and 2025. Inclusion criteria were: age between 18 and 90 years, complete medical records, and absence of trauma-, surgery-, infection-, or iatrogenic-related pneumomediastinum. Demographic data, clinical symptoms, laboratory parameters [C- reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC)], hospitalization duration, and seasonal distribution were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.0. Numerical data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). The chi-square test was used for categorical comparisons, and the Spearman correlation coefficient was used to evaluate associations between variables. A p-value of &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant.</p> Results <p>Of the 23 patients, 78.3% were male, with a mean age of 23.6 ± 7.9 years. The highest incidence occurred in autumn (47.8%), followed by spring (26.1%), and the lowest in summer (4.3%). The mean length of hospital stay was 3.9 ± 2.2 days, and relapse was observed in 8.7% of cases. CRP and WBC levels showed weak, non-significant positive correlations with the length of hospital stay (<i>p</i> &gt; 0.05).</p> Conclusion <p>Although SPM cases tended to increase during transitional seasons such as autumn and spring, this seasonal relationship was not statistically significant. The relatively high recurrence rate observed in this study may be associated with sample size, individual risk factors, or follow-up duration. Given the study’s small, single-center design, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Larger multicenter studies are required to better elucidate potential seasonal and environmental influences on SPM incidence.</p>

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Clinical characteristics of spontaneous pneumomediastinum: a retrospective study

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月24日

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  • Hasan Emre Yildirim,
  • Süleyman Emre Akin,
  • Cem Dogan,
  • Hasan Ekrem Camas,
  • Isa Dongel,
  • Rasih Yazkan

摘要

Background and aim

The mediastinum is an anatomical compartment that contains all thoracic organs and tissues except the lungs. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is a rare condition characterized by the presence of air in this space without any identifiable underlying cause. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and seasonal distribution of SPM cases, and to evaluate potential meteorological influences on its occurrence.

Methods

This retrospective study included 23 patients diagnosed with SPM at our institution between 2020 and 2025. Inclusion criteria were: age between 18 and 90 years, complete medical records, and absence of trauma-, surgery-, infection-, or iatrogenic-related pneumomediastinum. Demographic data, clinical symptoms, laboratory parameters [C- reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC)], hospitalization duration, and seasonal distribution were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.0. Numerical data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). The chi-square test was used for categorical comparisons, and the Spearman correlation coefficient was used to evaluate associations between variables. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Of the 23 patients, 78.3% were male, with a mean age of 23.6 ± 7.9 years. The highest incidence occurred in autumn (47.8%), followed by spring (26.1%), and the lowest in summer (4.3%). The mean length of hospital stay was 3.9 ± 2.2 days, and relapse was observed in 8.7% of cases. CRP and WBC levels showed weak, non-significant positive correlations with the length of hospital stay (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Although SPM cases tended to increase during transitional seasons such as autumn and spring, this seasonal relationship was not statistically significant. The relatively high recurrence rate observed in this study may be associated with sample size, individual risk factors, or follow-up duration. Given the study’s small, single-center design, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Larger multicenter studies are required to better elucidate potential seasonal and environmental influences on SPM incidence.