Spontaneous pneumomediastinum and myocarditis following Ecstasy use: a case report

Ecstasy is a very popular and widely used party drug with known complications such as agitation, hyperpyrexia, rhabdomyolysis or renal failure. A 16-year-old boy was admitted to our Emergency Department with a spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) after Ecstasy ingestion, complicated by myocarditis. To our knowledge this is the first case described with the combination of Ecstasy ingestion, SPM and myocarditis. Although SPM is well known in inhalation drug users who try to enhance alveolar resorption with repeated valsalva manoeuvres, it is rather rare after the ingestion of party drugs. The probable causative event is the prolonged and excessive dancing in this party drug culture. The course is usually benign, with spontaneous resorption. Emergency physicians should be aware of the risk, especially if a drug user presents with neck emphysema, difficulty in swallowing, and precordial crepitations or thoracic pain. Ecstasy, similarly to cocaine, can induce cardiac symptoms. (C) 2005 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.