[Pneumopericardium with combined emphysema of the skin and mediastinum following tooth extraction].

Emphysemas of the skin in the region of the cheek and face after surgical tooth extraction are relatively rare complications that can eventually lead to formation of an emphysema of the mediastinum and very rarely also to a pneumopericardium. The reason for this is often an instrumentally conditioned pressure increase in the oropharynx if this pressure increase leads to the entry of air into the wound region. There are also other mechanisms resulting in the formation of spontaneous mediastinal emphysema that can lead to a secondary emphysema. Possible reasons for the occurrence of a combined emphysema of the skin, the mediastinum and the pericardium are discussed.