Acute colonic diverticular perforation presenting as left ear pain and facial swelling due to cervical subcutaneous emphysema in a patient administered corticosteroids.

Abstract

A 56-yr-old white female administered corticosteroids presented with left ear pain and facial swelling due to cervical subcutaneous emphysema from a diverticular perforation of the sigmoid colon. This case demonstrates that localized signs of a bowel perforation may be absent in patients administered corticosteroids, that these patients may present with unusual, remote findings, and that bowel perforation can produce cervical subcutaneous emphysema.