Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 pneumonia

• Main Authors: Marco Loffi, Valentina Regazzoni, Pietro Sergio, Enrico Martinelli, Italo Stifani, Filippo Quinzani, Debora Robba, Annunziata Cotugno, Meghi Dede, Gian Battista Danzi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PAGEPress Publications 2020-09-01
• Series: Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease
• Subjects: Pneumomediastinum; pneumonia; COVID-19
• Online Access: https://www.monaldi-archives.org/index.php/macd/article/view/1399

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a benign entity but can worsen the underlying condition with which it is associated. We evaluated the incidence and the clinical relevance of spontaneous pneumomediastinum in a consecutive series of 102 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Six cases of pneumomediastinum were identified by high-resolution chest CT-scan. Three patients required early intubation, and one of them died, while in in the remaining subjects the clinical course was benign. The presence of pneumomediastinum required some changes in the management of mechanical ventilation. In conclusion, spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a possible complication of severe COVID-19 pneumonia that can affect patient management and clinical outcomes.