The heart in an airbag: spontaneous pneumopericardium in a young lady.

Pneumopericardium is a rare but potentially life-threatening clinical condition that must be considered in the differential diagnosis of chest pain. It is usually associated with chest trauma, infections, invasive procedures or mechanical ventilation. We report a case of pneumopericardium in a 25-year-old woman following a recent episode of forceful vomiting possibly acting as trigger factor. The diagnosis was made by posteroanterior chest radiography and confirmed with computed tomography. Contrast swallow test failed to detect oesophagopericardial fistulae and the patient was managed conservatively without further complication.