A case of a patient with neurofibromatosis type I who developed pneumothorax and eosinophilic pleural effusion after suffering from COVID-19 pneumonia

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic since its discovery in December 2019, and as the disease continues to evolve, varying complications associated with it continue to arise. In this regard, computed tomography has played an extremely important role in the diagnosis and evaluation of COVID-19 pneumonia and its complications. We encountered a case of a male patient with neurofibromatosis (type I) who developed concurrent pneumothorax and pleural effusion during his recovery period from severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema were also confirmed. Furthermore, an eosinophil pleural effusion appeared and was prolonged during the healing process of COVID-19. This clinical presentation suggests that fibrosis and emphysema formation due to neurofibromatosis may have caused pneumothorax and pleural effusion.

Keywords

• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• neurofibromatosis
• pneumothorax
• eosinophilic pleural effusion
• computed tomography (CT)