A Unique Presentation of Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum Following COVID-19 Infection

Pneumomediastinum is a rare, life-threatening condition in which air leaks into the mediastinum. Usually, it results from a traumatic event that leads to the escape of air from the airway, lungs, or bowel into the chest cavity. Patients with underlying lung pathology or a history of invasive mechani...

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Published inCurēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 14; no. 4; p. e24565
Main Authors Soni, Ravi, Brewster, William, Weeks, Woodwin, Graves, Steven
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Cureus 28.04.2022
Subjects
Emergency Medicine
Family/General Practice
Internal Medicine
covid 19
follow-up appointment
pneumothorax (ptx)
subcutaneous emphysema
spontaneous pneumomediastinum (spm)
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Summary:Pneumomediastinum is a rare, life-threatening condition in which air leaks into the mediastinum. Usually, it results from a traumatic event that leads to the escape of air from the airway, lungs, or bowel into the chest cavity. Patients with underlying lung pathology or a history of invasive mechanical ventilation have an increased risk of developing a pneumomediastinum. A spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) occurs in the absence of these risk factors. Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia tend to have a higher risk of developing an SPM, however, this is usually linked to mechanical ventilator use. Although rare, cases of healthy young patients with no history of underlying lung pathology or mechanical ventilator use developing an SPM are increasingly being reported. In efforts to bring more attention to this complication, we present the case of an SPM in a 40-year-old female patient with COVID-19 pneumonia and highlight the importance of close follow-up.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.24565