Spontaneous Pneumorrhachis: A Rare Finding

Cenci-Nizzo, Natalia; Fuentes-Martín, Álvaro; Cilleruelo-Ramos, Ángel

doi:10.1016/j.arbres.2025.07.003

Archivos de Bronconeumología

ISSN: 0300-2896

Archivos de Bronconeumologia is an international journal that publishes original studies whose content is based upon results of research initiatives dealing with several aspects of respiratory medicine including epidemiology, respiratory physiology, pathophysiology of respiratory diseases, clinical management, thoracic surgery, pediatric lung diseases, respiratory critical care, respiratory allergy and translational research. Other types of articles such as editorials, reviews, and different types of letters are also published in the journal. Additionally, the journal expresses the voice of the following scientific societies: the Spanish Respiratory Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR; https://www.separ.es/), the Latin American Thoracic Society (ALAT; https://alatorax.org/), and the Iberian American Association of Thoracic Surgery (AIACT; http://www.aiatorax.com/).

It is a monthly journal in which all manuscripts are sent to peer-review and handled by the editor or an associate editor from the team and the final decision is made on the basis of the comments from the expert reviewers and the editors. The journal is published solely in English. All the published data is composed of novel manuscripts not previously published in any other journal and not being in consideration for publication in any other journal..

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Indexed in:

Medline, Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE)

A 68-year-old man with no relevant medical history was admitted for atypical pneumonia and developed subcutaneous emphysema after a coughing episode. Computed tomography (CT) revealed extensive subcutaneous emphysema dissecting the cervical and thoracic fascial planes, air within the spinal canal (Fig. 1), small bilateral pneumothoraces, pneumomediastinum, and pneumopericardium. Pneumorrhachis is air in the spinal canal (epidural or subarachnoid space). Its etiology may be iatrogenic, traumatic, or spontaneous. It is usually asymptomatic and does not tend to migrate [1]. Diagnosis is based on imaging, preferably CT. Spontaneous pneumorrhachis is rare and usually does not require intervention [2].

Fig. 1.

Chest computed tomography in axial (A) and sagittal (B) views demonstrating pneumorrhachis (red arrows).

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Natalia Cenci-Nizzo: Conceptualization, writing – original draft. Álvaro Fuentes-Martín and Ángel Cilleruelo-Ramos: Review & editing.

Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process

During the preparation of this work, the authors used GPT-4 to check grammar, translation, and spelling. After using this tool, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.

Funding

None declared.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

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M.F. Oertel, M.C. Korinth, M.H. Reinges, T. Krings, S. Terbeck, J.M. Gilsbach.

Pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of pneumorrhachis.

Eur Spine J, 15 (2006), pp. S636-S643

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00586-006-0160-6

[2]

A.Z. Fonseca, S. Santin, M. Ribeiro Jr..