SUBCUTANEOUS EMPHYSEMA

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Subcutaneous emphysema is referred to in medical literature under various other names, as for instance, surgical emphysema, cellular emphysema and traumatic emphysema. Subcutaneous emphysema may be defined as a condition in which atmospheric air or other gases are found in the subcutaneous tissues. We are concerned here only with the simple emphysema. The inflammatory or gangrenous emphysema is not included. The subcutaneous tissues are made up largely of areolar connective tissue, which thus permits of a great deal of distention. In either localized edema or in anasarca the accumulated fluids are in these areolar spaces. Similarly in subcutaneous emphysema the entrance of air into these spaces meets very little resistance, and thus the skin becomes distended to a variable extent. In the article on areolar tissue in Garrish's textbook of anatomy,1there is a striking picture, a drawing of a man with generalized subcutaneous emphysema. Besides being present in

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: