SPONTANEOUS SUBCUTANEOUS RUPTURE OF THE TRACHEA

No mention is made of spontaneous subcutaneous rupture of the trachea in any of the standard textbooks on surgery, and a study of the literature discloses the infrequency of the condition. Therefore, this case seems to be of sufficient interest to warrant reporting. M. H., a negress, aged 27, married, while waiting on the table, suddenly experienced a sharp pain in the region of the trachea. She immediately noticed difficulty in breathing, which rapidly grew worse. At the same time, her throat began increasing in size, growing larger with each breath. She was taken to the Robert B. Green Memorial Hospital, where I saw her thirty minutes after the onset of her trouble. On first sight, she appeared to have a large goiter occupying the entire space from the tip of the chin to the manubrium sterni. However, on examination, the tumor was soft and emphysematous, and felt very much