Loculated Empyema and SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Clinical manifestations are diverse and can vary from mild respiratory symptoms to severe hypoxic respiratory failure. In severe cases, infection can cause gastrointestinal, renal, cardiac, neurological and haematological complications and result in multi-organ failure. There are very few reports of parapneumonic effusion in patients with COVID-19. We describe two patients with COVID-19 who had loculated empyema and discuss the clinical course and therapeutic options.

Keywords

• empyema
• loculated pleural effusion
• covid-19
• sars-cov-2