Cervicothoracic Subcutaneous Emphysema and Pneumomediastinum After Third Molar Extraction.

Third molar extraction is one of the most common interventions in dental and maxillofacial surgery. Complications are frequent and well documented, with swelling, pain, bleeding, infection, and lingual or alveolar nerve injury being the most common. This report describes a case of subcutaneous extensive emphysema and pneumomediastinum that occurred 4 days after extraction of an impacted right mandibular third molar. The management and etiology of this case and those reported in the literature are discussed.