Journal of Asthma and Allergy (Dec 2021)
Spontaneous Pneumorachis – A Case-Based Review
Abstract
Sai Vikram Alampoondi Venkataramanan,1 Lovin George,1 Kamal Kant Sahu2 1Department of Medicine, Saint Vincent Hospital, Worcester, MA, USA; 2Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USACorrespondence: Kamal Kant SahuDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USATel +1 8015874286Email [email protected]: Pneumorachis is characterized by the presence of free air in the spinal canal. It is referred by different names in literature such as epidural emphysema, intraspinal air, intraspinal pneumoc(o)ele, spinal epidural and subarachnoid pneumatosis, spinal and epidural emphysema, aerorachia, pneumosaccus, air myelogram, etc. Pneumorachis can be broadly classified as traumatic, iatrogenic, or spontaneous. In this case-based review, we present a case of spontaneous pneumorachis secondary to asthma exacerbation. This is followed by a systematic review of all cases of spontaneous pneumorachis identified in PubMed. The aim of this review is to understand the pathophysiology, common causes and the management of spontaneous pneumorachis.Keywords: pneumorachis, spontaneous pneumorachis, marijuana smoking, asthma exacerbation
