| Hamman's sign | |
|---|---|
| Differential diagnosis | pneumomediastinum |
Hamman's sign (rarely,Hammond's sign[1] orHammond's crunch[2]) is amedical sign consisting of a crunching, rasping sound, synchronous with the heartbeat,[3] heard over theprecordium in spontaneousmediastinal emphysema. It is thought to result from the heart beating against air-filled tissues.
It is named afterJohns Hopkins clinicianLouis Hamman, M.D.[4]
This sound is heard best over the left lateral position.[5] It has been described as a series of precordial crackles that correlate with theheart beat rather than respiration.
Hamman's crunch is caused bypneumomediastinum orpneumopericardium, and is associated withtracheobronchial injury[6] due to trauma, medical procedures (e.g., bronchoscopy) or rupture of a proximal pulmonary bleb. It can be seen withBoerhaave syndrome.
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