key: cord-0757372-5w2hv6ur
authors: Marsico, Salvatore; Bellido, Luis Alexander Del Carpio; Zuccarino, Flavio
title: Spontaneous Pneumothorax in Covid-19 patients
date: 2020-08-28
journal: Arch Bronconeumol
DOI: 10.1016/j.arbres.2020.07.027
sha: dfeaf4991fded51a72d361b9c9604efbd2ca3ac2
doc_id: 757372
cord_uid: 5w2hv6ur

nan

Salvatore Marsico, MD; Luis Alexander Del Carpio Bellido, MD; MD; Flavio Zuccarino, MD. A 67-year-old man was admitted to the Emergency Department of our Hospital with fever and respiratory insufficience secondary to COVID-19 pneumonia, confirmed with RT-PCR test.

During the first hours of hospitalization the patient was intubated, due to early respiratory deterioration (needs of fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) up to 100%, with PaO2 / FiO2 <100).

Afterwards a right pneumothorax was detected as explanation for early respiratory deterioration. A right basal pleural drainage was placed with expansion of the right lung and progressive improvement of respiratory function.

A Chest X-Ray( Fig 1A) and a CT Scan (Fig 1B) illustrate a right pneumothorax resolved after positioning a right pleural drainage (Fig 1C) .

In this case pneumothorax was caused by a barotrauma secondary to endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation.

Despite pneumothorax in this clnical scenario represents a frequent complication, only few papers focused on imaging findings related to mechanical ventilation complications in Covid-19 patients have been reported. Salehi et al. (1) and Yang et al (2) described just one case of pneumothorax in cohorts of 99 and 52 patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia respectively (2) .

Imaging techniques are key in the diagnosis and management of these complications. 

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Systematic Review of Imaging Findings in 919 Patients

Clinical course and outcomes of critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a single-centered, retrospective, observational study