Dental workup and 2 'curious cases of SQ Emphysema'


1. In 1900, the first recorded case of spontaneous subcutaneous emphysema was reported in a bugler for the Royal Marines who had had a tooth extracted: playing the instrument had forced air through the hole where the tooth had been and into the tissues of his face.


2. A case of spontaneous subcutaneous emphysema was reported in a submariner for the US Navy who had had a root canal in the past; the increased pressure in the submarine forced air through it and into his face.


Parker GS, Mosborg DA, Foley RW, Stiernberg CM. "Spontaneous cervical and mediastinal emphysema". Laryngoscope 100 (9): 938–940 (September 1990).