Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 pneumonia: Two Cases and Review of the Literature

Year 2022, Volume: 13 Issue: 1, 34 - 36, 08.03.2022

Hasan Kara , Aysegül Bayır , Selim Değirmenci , Hüseyin Yıldıran , Ahmet Ak

https://doi.org/10.33706/jemcr.1015741

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Introduction: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (PM) is a rare presentation associated with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, we report two cases presented with spontaneous PM associated with COVID-19 pneumonia.
Case Reports:
Case 1: A 58-year-old female patient was admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) with dyspnea, hoarseness, myalgia, and cough. A chest CT scan revealed subcutaneous emphysema, diffuse PM, bilateral diffuse areas of ground-glass opacity, and consolidations. The patient was transferred to the critical care unit. In critical intensive care, the patient developed multi-organ failure and expired on the 10th day.
Case 2: A 34-year-old male patient admitted to the ED with dyspnea and cough. A chest CT scan revealed diffuse PM, bilateral diffuse areas of ground-glass opacity, and consolidations. The patient was transferred to the critical care unit. His progress was uneventful and he was discharged after 12 days.
Conclusion: Patients suspected of PM should be examined closely during the differential diagnosis of chest pain, dyspnea, subcutaneous emphysema, and various lung- and heart-induced states. Patients diagnosed with spontaneous PM should be hospitalized for observation because the condition can be associated with complications, including death.

Keywords

COVID-19, Dyspnea, Pneumomediastinum, Complication

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