CASE REPORT   Free access

Minerva Pneumologica 2020 June;59(2):41-3

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4954.20.01878-7

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Spontaneous pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum: an unusual presentation of COVID-19

Giorgio E. POLISTINA ✉, Pasquale IMITAZIONE, Anna ANNUNZIATA, Gerardo LANGELLA, Giuseppe FIORENTINO

Department of Respiratory Pathophysiology, Monaldi-Cotugno Hospital, Naples, Italy

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia was a recent worldwide outbreak. During chest computed tomography (CT) we may observe pulmonary parenchymal opacity, as sign of COVID-19. Very few have reported pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum as complications of severe COVID-19 pneumonia. We describe a 44-year-old male admitted to our department after the onset of sudden chest pain and high fever and evidence on computed tomography of spontaneous pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum, subsequently confirming COVID-19 pneumonia.

KEY WORDS: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Pneumonia; Diagnostic pneumomediastinum; Pneumothorax; X-ray computed tomography