Pulmonary emphysema, bullae, and pneumothorax in COVID-19 pneumonia

• Main Authors: Wenrui Xu, MD, Xiaojie Luo, MD, He Wang, MD, Cheng Shen, MD, Yan Song, MD, Tieying Sun, MD, Min Chen, MD, PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-05-01
• Series: Radiology Case Reports
• Subjects: Pulmonary emphysema; Pneumothorax; COVID-19 pneumonia
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S193004332100056X

In this paper, we described 2 cases with COVID-19 pneumonia, who developed pulmonary emphysema, bullae, and pneumothorax during therapy. In a 48-year-old man with mechanical ventilation, parts of ground glass opacities and consolidations transformed into emphysema and giant bulla, and bilateral pneumothorax were also observed. In a 35-year-old man, localized emphysema and pulmonary bullae were seen in subpleural area in bilateral upper lobes, where no previous lesions were presented. In conclusion, pulmonary emphysema, bullae, and pneumothorax could be complications of COVID-19. On one hand, surgical emphysema in ventilated COVID-19 patients was observed as in SARS patients. On the other hand, more serious destruction of lung parenchyma was found in COVID-19 patients.