Balls and whistles – patient’s scrotum develops unusual feature

A wound allowing air to escape the body during pneumothorax is unheard of, doctors effuse
CT abdomen pelvis

An elderly patient went to ED whistling an unhappy tune — from a very unusual orifice.

The 72-year-old presented complaining of dyspnoea, facial oedema and a “whistling scrotum”.

His medical history was significant for diabetes; coronary artery disease (post-CABG), thyroidectomy; and recurrent epididymitis for which he had recently undergone scrotal incision and drainage of the left hemiscrotum, leaving a non-healing scrotal wound.

On examination, doctors noted marked crepitus from head to thigh and orbital emphysema that made it difficult to visualise the patient’s left pupil.