Open AccessPost-COVID-19 pulmonary cavitation and tension pneumothorax in a non-ventilated patient
Author(s) -
UmeshK Ojha,
Bhagya Vardhan,
Payel Biswas,
Subhankar Chatterjee,
Sudhanshu Mishra,
Surendra Baskey
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of family medicine and primary care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2278-7135
pISSN - 2249-4863
DOI - 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1455_21
Subject(s) - medicine , pneumothorax , pneumonia , covid-19 , hydropneumothorax , tension pneumothorax , surgery , anesthesia , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Cavitation and pneumothorax are independently associated with high morbidity and mortality in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). While spontaneous (non-traumatic) pneumothorax formation has commonly been observed among mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients, there are few rare reports of COVID-19 associated pneumothorax without any history of barotrauma and other conventional risk factors. Here, we report a unique case of post-COVID-19 cavitation and tension pneumothorax which was further complicated by hydropneumothorax formation in a young patient who suffered severe COVID-19 pneumonia 4 weeks back. As the patient was devoid of any conventional risk factors, we believe that persistent inflammatory alveolar damage even after clinical recovery from COVID-19 played a key role in pulmonary cavitation followed by pneumothorax formation. With prompt clinical and radiological recognition of these fatal, yet treatable complications of COVID-19 pneumonia, the patient was saved and had an uneventful recovery.