Significance of pneumomediastinum in blunt trauma to the thorax.

Mediastinal and deep cervical emphysema are among the signs oftracheobronchial laceration [1-4]. According to Eijgelaar and van der Heide [5] and Kirsh et al. [1], either of these signs should prompt bronchoscopy to exclude a bronchial ruptt .e. This concept has not been emphasized in the radiologic literature. Either of these findings in a patient who has not received positivepressure ventilation is strongly suggestive of a tracheobronchial fracture.