The diagnosis of non-traumatic tracheal perforation with virtual bronchoscopy: a case report

Abstract

A case of severe COPD patient complicated by pneumomediastinum due to spontaneous tracheal perforation related to post-influenza vaccination is presented. The virtual bronchoscopy was superior to fiberoptic bronchoscopy and classic multi-slice CT in diagnosing the tracheal perforation.

The use of virtual bronchoscopy should be considered as a reliable diagnostic tool in cases of pneumomediastinum especially due to the ability to explore the airways in both antegrade and retrograde navigation.