About subcutaneous emphysema during childbirth

In view of the rarity of the case, the author reports the clinical fact of the appearance of subcutaneous emphysema during childbirth in a primiparous woman, 24 years old, who does not have any pulmonary phenomena. After long and difficult periods of opening the throat and smoothing the neck, which lasted about 30 hours, almost at the end of the expulsion of the fetus, which lasted about 2 hours, the woman in labor suddenly had a swelling on her right cheek, of a soft consistency, which, when palpated, gives a sensation of subcutaneous tissue, characteristic of emphysema following a rupture in any part of the airways. Before the end of labor (voluntary), the tumor enlarged and spread to the neck and lower face on both sides. After holding on for 3-4 days, the tumor began to gradually subside and by the 6th day it disappeared completely without any treatment.