COVID-19, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Pneumothorax: A Frightening Triad
Keywords
COVID-19, pneumonia, dyspnoea, pneumothorax, COPD, ARDSAbstract
We describe the case of a male patient admitted to our emergency department during the Italian COVID-19 epidemic, for progressive worsening dyspnoea. A diagnosis of pneumothorax and diffuse interstitial lung involvement was promptly made by lung ultrasound and confirmed by an HRCT scan. A chest CT scan also showed diffuse emphysema, as observed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and small consolidations in the lower lobes, suggestive for COVID-19 pneumonia. A chest tube was immediately inserted in the emergency room with complete resolution of the dyspnoea. A nasopharyngeal swab for 2019-nCoV was positive. Unfortunately, the patient died from COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome after 48 days of hospitalization.
References
COVID-19 pneumonia: different respiratory treatments for different phenotypes? Intensive Care Med 2020 Apr 14;1–4. doi: 10.1007/s00134-020-06033-2. [Epub ahead of print].