A swollen face and neck after dental surgery: Think of subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum

Pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema are defined as the pathological presence of free air in the mediastinum or subcutaneous tissue, respectively. In the majority of cases, pneumomediastinum is secondary to an iatrogenic cause, but has rarely been described after a routine dental extraction. This condition is generally self-limiting, but major complications can occur, such as mediastinitis, which is more frequently associated with iatrogenic pneumomediastinum. To highlight the importance of including this presumably underdiagnosed complication in the differential diagnosis, we present a case of a 50-year-old man with dysphagia, facial pain and swollen face and neck following a dental extraction.