An unusual case of abdominal pain: psychogenic vomiting complicated by spontaneous pneumomediastinum

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) was defined by the appearance of free air in the mediastinum that was not preceded by trauma, surgery, or other medical procedures. Among the numerous manifestations of SPM, abdominal pain had seldom been described. CASE PRESENTATION: A 25-year-old man presented to the emergency department with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain for 7 days. The presenting clinical features and the radiological results were suggestive of psychogenic vomiting with spontaneous pneumomediastinum in a patient who suffered from abdominal pain. CONCLUSIONS: The special feature of this case was the elucidation of a rare cause of abdominal pain, which should be differentiated in patients with vomiting combined with abdominal pain. The importance of this case was that its recognition may prevent unnecessary procedures to rule out or treat other causes of abdominal pain.