CASE REPORT   Free access

Minerva Pneumologica 2020 September;59(3):60-4

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4954.20.01886-6

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

On the delayed approach to mediastinal lymphomas in the SARS-CoV2 era

Mariaenrica TINÈ ¹ ✉, Enrico GIANFAGNA ², Valentina LIANI ², Mario TAMBURRINI ²

¹ Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; ² Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Santa Maria degli Angeli, Pordenone, Italy

COVID-19 outbreak dramatically affected the health system, not only by direct infection but also depleting health resources and limiting patients’ access to medical advice. We presented the cases of four patients admitted to the Respiratory Department for mediastinal masses who, even complaining mass-related symptoms, delayed hospital admission being afraid of SARS-Cov2 infection. The final diagnosis of primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma was achieved by interventional pulmonology procedures including bronchoscopy, ultrasound and CT-guided biopsies. These semi-invasive techniques may speed up the diagnostic workout and, sometimes, spare thoracic surgery. The prognosis of this kind of non-Hodgkin lymphomas depends on an early and aggressive therapeutic approach. Considering that, the delayed healthcare utilization due to patients’ concern to seek for medical advice in COVID-19 era should not be underestimated.

KEY WORDS: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Lymphoma; Bronchoscopy