Mediastinal Emphysema, Giant Bulla, and Pneumothorax Developed during the Course of COVID-19 Pneumonia

Korean J Radiol. 2020 May;21(5):541-544. doi: 10.3348/kjr.2020.0180. Epub 2020 Mar 20.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia is a recent outbreak in mainland China and has rapidly spread to multiple countries worldwide. Pulmonary parenchymal opacities are often observed during chest radiography. Currently, few cases have reported the complications of severe COVID-19 pneumonia. We report a case where serial follow-up chest computed tomography revealed progression of pulmonary lesions into confluent bilateral consolidation with lower lung predominance, thereby confirming COVID-19 pneumonia. Furthermore, complications such as mediastinal emphysema, giant bulla, and pneumothorax were also observed during the course of the disease.

Keywords: COVID-19; Complication; Coronavirus; Pneumonia; Tomography, X-ray computed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Betacoronavirus
  • Blister
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • China
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques
  • Coronavirus
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnostic imaging
  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Lung / pathology
  • Male
  • Mediastinal Emphysema / etiology*
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnostic imaging
  • Pneumothorax / etiology*
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed