Pneumothorax in a COVID-19 Pneumonia Patient without Underlying Risk Factors

Intern Med. 2020 Nov 15;59(22):2921-2925. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.5731-20. Epub 2020 Oct 7.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been recognized as a worldwide pandemic. However, the clinical course of COVID-19 remains poorly characterized. Although some cases of pneumothorax have been reported, they all had pulmonary complications or were managed with mechanical ventilation. We herein report a case of pneumothorax that developed even though the patient had no pulmonary underlying diseases and had never been managed with mechanical ventilation. In the present case, a lung bulla was found on chest computed tomography during treatment for COVID-19. We concluded that COVID-19 affected the formation of the lung bulla and induced the complication of pneumothorax.

Keywords: COVID-19 pneumonia; bulla; corticosteroids; organizing pneumonia; pneumothorax; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Betacoronavirus*
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
  • Pneumothorax / diagnosis
  • Pneumothorax / etiology*
  • Risk Factors
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*