Pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema as complication in COVID-19 patient with high CT severity score: Two case reports

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused due to infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome virus coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is highly infective virus resulting in recent on-going pandemic and causing multisystem involvement predominantly affecting respiratory system. The most common presenting symptoms are fever, dry cough and breathlessness. The role of Computerized tomography (CT) is crucial especially in those patient having negative (rRT-PCR) but with high clinical suspicion, for prognosis and follow up. CT imaging findings mainly consists of multiple patchy bilateral ground-glass opacity (GGO) with or without consolidation and interlobular septal thickening with a peripheral or posterior distribution, mainly involving the lower lobes, depending upon the stage of disease. We present two case report of high CT severity score COVID-19 infection on non-invasive ventilation (NIV) having rare complication of pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema apart from typical COVID pattern lung findings during their course of admission in the hospital.

Keywords

• complications
• covid-19
• ct chest
• pandemic
• prognosis spontaneous pneumomediastinum
• subcutaneous emphysema