Paratracheal Air Cysts: A Common Finding on Routine CT Examinations of the Cervical Spine and Neck That May Mimic Pneumomediastinum in Patients With Traumatic Injuries

A 63-year-old man involved in an automobile accident. There is a small right-sided paratracheal air cyst (arrow) in the typical location as well as abnormal soft tissue air in the right supraclavicular region (curved arrows). The paratracheal air cyst can be differentiated from the abnormal soft tissue gas in that it communicates with the trachea and is within the wall of the trachea and not adjacent to it.