Abstract

Epidural pneumorrhachis, or emphysema, refers to the presence of air within the spinal epidural space. It is a well-described sequela of trauma and of instrumentation. It is more rarely seen, as in our case, in association with a spontaneous pneumomediastinum. Isolated case reports describe in association spontaneous pneumomediastinum and epidural pneumorrhachis. There are no fascial barriers between the posterior mediastinum and the retropharyngeal and epidural spac­es; thus, air can diffuse freely to the epidural space and produce an epidural pneumatosis. We herein report a case in a 16-year-old boy with spontaneous pneumomediastinum and epidural pneumorrachis and discuss this rare condition.